Fragaria chinensis
     Chinese strawberry/中国草莓

Taxonomy: Angiosperms / Eudicots / Rosids / Rosales / Rosaceae

Introduction

1. The Chinese Strawberry, Fragaria chinensis, is a perennial herb that typically grows up to 30 cm tall. It is characterized by its trifoliate leaves, with each leaflet being obovate, elliptic, or broadly ovate, and measuring 1-5 cm in length. The leaflets have rounded tips and wedge-shaped bases, with incised serrations along the margins. The upper surface of the leaves is sparsely covered with short, soft hairs, while the lower surface has more dense hairs, especially along the midrib.
2. Fragaria chinensis is native to several provinces in China, including Jilin, Shaanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou. It thrives in a variety of habitats, such as slopes, grasslands, and forest understories. This species is also found in other parts of the North Temperate Zone, including Europe and North America.
3. The plant produces cymose inflorescences, usually bearing 2-4 (sometimes 5) white, obovate flowers. The flowers have 20 stamens with unequal filaments and numerous carpels. The fruit is an aggregate of small, red, ovoid achenes when ripe, and the persistent sepals spread horizontally.
4. The flowering period for Fragaria chinensis generally occurs from April to June, followed by the fruiting period from June to September.

Genome statistics

Evaluated genome size(1x)236.27 Mb
Assembly size(1x)254.62 Mb
Scaffold N5032.42 Mb
Contig N502,290.75 Kb
Chromosome number2n=14
Repeats44.95%
Number of predicted coding genes30,300
BUSCOC:95.4%

Reference

Hanyang Lin. et al. Genomic data provides insights into the evolutionary history and adaptive differentiation of two tetraploid strawberries. Horticulture Research 11, 9 (2024).