Strawberry

Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana and F. chiloensis
(Rosaceae)

Description:
The berries of the strawberry plant are so well-known they need no description. The leaves divide into three sharply toothed leaflets, with the terminal tooth smaller than the adjacent ones. The white flowers have five petals; the root is a thick rhizome. Runners or stolens are usually present.

Distribution:
Fragaria virginiana is coastal and F. chiloensis is restricted to the Interior. Both species hybridize with domestic varieties of F. vesca.

Constituents:
The leaves are known to contain vitamin C, catechins, and leucoanthocyanin.

Medicinal uses:
The ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in strawberry leaves and berries is both astringent and antiscorbutic. Strawberries' reputation for tightening loose teeth is probably due to their ascorbic acid--loosening of the teeth is one of the symptoms of vitamin C deficiency and scurvy. The alleged power of strawberries to dissolve tooth plaque is questionable, however, because any acid strong enough to dissolve the calcareous deposits on teeth is also strong enough to damage the tooth itself. (Nancy Georgell, personal communication) But the nutritional effect of a large amount of fruit in the diet may indeed be able to delay the formation of plaque.

According to Spoerke, catechins (found in strawberry leaves) are protein precipitants and astringents. The d-catechin is thought to inhibit production of histamine. It has little therapeutic action on its own, but seems to potentiate antihistamine drugs if used with them.

Strawberry roots are diuretic. (Densmore)

Strawberry leaves and roots, boiled in wine and water, are described as a remedy for diarrhea by Simmonite-Culpeper of medieval England. In their words, "The same if drank, stays the bloody flux and womens' courses, and helps the swelling of the spleen." The same plant used for the same purpose appears in the pharmacopeia of the Indians of western Washington (Gunther, Lewis); one wonders whether this is a case of independent discovery of a remedy or whether there was cultural transmission one way or the other. Also, the Chippewas used strawberry roots for a tea to give to children with stomach upsets. (Densmore)

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Copyright © 1987 by Eleanor G. Viereck