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Potentilla indica

Potentilla indica

(Andrews) Th. Wolf

Family: Rosaceae
Order: Rosales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Phylum / Division: Magnoliophyta
Kingdom: Plantae

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Description


Potentilla indica, known commonly as false strawberry, mock strawberry, or Indian strawberry, (also snakeberry in North America) is a flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to West Asia to India, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. It has ternate foliage and an aggregate accessory fruit, similar to true strawberries of the genus Fragaria. Unlike the white or slightly pink flowers of true strawberries, Potentilla indica has yellow flowers, as do many other Potentilla species. It is native to eastern and southern Asia, but has naturalized in many regions worldwide. P. indica is an invasive species in the United States and Canada, often noticed as a weed on grass lawns.

Many sources consider this plant part of the genus Potentilla due to evidence from chloroplast genetic sequence data that the genus Duchesnea is included within Potentilla, though some still list it as Duchesnea indica.

 The herbaceous plant spreads along creeping stolons, rooting and producing plantlets at each node. The leaves are trifoliate, dark green, and somewhat thick. The flowers are produced singly on axillary peduncles. The yellow petals of Potentilla indica have a nectar guide near the center of each petal that absorbs UV light more strongly than the rest of the petal and is visible only in the UV spectrum. The most common variety, Potentilla indica var. indica, has fruiting receptacles and achenes that are red and glossy. The rare variety D. indica f. albocaput Naruh., with white receptacles and cream achenes, has been reported only in Argentina and Japan.

Invasiveness: Mock strawberry is considered invasive in some regions of the United States and Canada, where it may disrupt local ecosystems. Studies have shown that it can negatively impact the abundance of springtails and ants, affecting soil biodiversity.

Uses: The fresh berries are edible but considered less palatable than proper strawberries.

The cousin Potentilla fulgens is widely distributed in the Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, northeastern India, where the plants are known in the Khasi as (and in English as "Himalayan cinquefoil"), and usage of this species extends to the Potentilla genus. Roots of Potentilla are consumed (chewed) with betel nuts by the Khasi people, and the P. indica species is also used in this way.

There is recorded ethno-medicinal usage (in northeastern India) as anthelmintic to get rid of parasites and to treat lung symptoms. A survey conducted in Assam, India from 2018-2020 documented the use of Potentilla indica by traditional healers to treat asthma. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used for clearing heat, cooling blood, detumescence, and detoxication.

Source: Wikipedia, article Potentilla indica. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 17/07/2026.





Geographic distribution


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Species photographs

Count: 15

Foto
Photography ID: 684402
♂ ♀
  Adult

Florida
Buenos Aires
Argentina
10/08/2016
Marcos Garberoglio
Foto
Photography ID: 614962
  Adult

Reserva Provincial Los Sosa
Tucumán
Argentina
12/14/2024
Diego Carus
Foto
Photography ID: 606361
  Adult

Parque Nacional Calilegua
Jujuy
Argentina
10/18/2024
Diego Carus
Foto
Photography ID: 579581
  Adult

El Duraznillo
La Rioja
Argentina
02/07/2021
Ramón Vera
Foto
Photography ID: 579580
  Adult

El Duraznillo
La Rioja
Argentina
02/07/2021
Ramón Vera
Foto
Photography ID: 579579
  Adult

El Duraznillo
La Rioja
Argentina
02/07/2021
Ramón Vera
Foto
Photography ID: 577037
  Adult

Valle Grande
Jujuy
Argentina
07/17/2023
Walter Bustamante
Foto
Photography ID: 558576
  Adult

Rauch
Buenos Aires
Argentina
09/30/2023
Marcos Moris
Foto
Photography ID: 558573
  Adult

Rauch
Buenos Aires
Argentina
12/03/2023
Marcos Moris
Foto
Photography ID: 557083
  Adult

Parque Nacional Calilegua
Jujuy
Argentina
09/23/2023
Elsa Longo
Foto
Photography ID: 508759
♂ ♀
  Adult

Belén de Escobar
Buenos Aires
Argentina
09/24/2022
Silvia Sokolovsky



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 Detail of places sorted by number of records






Species records

Count: 20



Page 1 of 2
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
242737002/02/2026ArgentinaTucumánApeadero General Muñoz, Camino a Tafi del ValleViviana Fuentes
241079901/01/202609:13ArgentinaSanta FeCamino Rural, San Jerónimo Norte1Gustavo Fernando Durán
223875601/01/202513:26ArgentinaSanta FeCamino Rural, San Jerónimo Norte1Gustavo Fernando Durán
221083914/12/2024ArgentinaTucumánReserva Provincial Los SosaDiego Carus
217958618/10/2024ArgentinaJujuyParque Nacional CalileguaDiego Carus
219121513/10/2024ArgentinaSanta FeCamino Rural, San Jerónimo Norte1Gustavo Fernando Durán
192401503/12/2023ArgentinaBuenos AiresCamino a Chapaleofú, RauchMarcos Moris
192402130/09/2023ArgentinaBuenos AiresCamino a Chapaleofú, RauchMarcos Moris
191739523/09/2023ArgentinaJujuyParque Nacional CalileguaGuillermo Marcaida
191568723/09/2023ArgentinaJujuyParque Nacional CalileguaElsa Longo
Page 1 of 2

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Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Potentilla indica – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 14/09/2026.