**9. Edaphic requirements of** *Fragaria moschata* **in natural habitat**

The soil analysis of the habitat of *F. moschata*, from the site where the species has survived over 220 years in Hämeenkylä, Kouvola, SE Finland (**Figure 19**) shows a relatively high Ca content about the K and Mg contents (**Table 5**). The survival of *F. viridis* and the hybrid species *F*. *bifera* on their northern limit of distribution in southernmost Finland are highly dependent on a high Ca content of the soil in the habitat, where *F*. *vesca* is indifferent, but *F*. *vesca* also turns dependent on high Ca in its northern limit of distribution [42]. Another important issue is the high Ca: K ration of the soil in the habitats of *F. viridis*, while the *F*. *bifera* habitats are intermediate between those of *F. vesca* and *F. viridis* [42].

In garden strawberry (*F*. *ananassa*) a deficiency of Ca in emerging leaves causes leaf tip-burn [43]. A high availability of K in the soil may decrease Ca mobility in the strawberry plant, and result in tip-burn [44]. A further reason for tip-burn can be boron deficiency [45]. In the populations surviving in the wildness, I have not observed tipburn disorder in *F. moschata* in the natural populations, but in cultivation for years in limited soil bags, tip-burn may occur. The incipient tip-burn in *F. moschata* may deform the leaflet shape from the typical rhomboid to that of *F*. *ananassa* (**Figure 20**).

#### **Figure 19.**

*A female clone of* Fragaria moschata *which has survived* in situ *over 220 years, see Munsterhjelm 1799–1801 [41].* F*.* moschata *is practically the only field layer species on the site in the highly shadowed deciduous grove in Hämeenkylä, Kouvola, Finland. Photography needed the use of flash on a sunny day. June 11, 2020.*


#### **Table 5.**

*Results of the topsoil analysis of the Hämeenkylä site in Kouvola, Finland, where* F*.* moschata *has survived over 220 years, see Munsterhjelm 1799–1801 [41]. Sampling date Aug. 14, 2020. The analysis was purchased from Viljavuuspalvelu oy Eurofins (Mikkeli, Finland); analysis no. 20–00079100 named Mansikka-2.*

#### **Figure 20.**

*Grown in limited soil bags, an incipient tip-burn disorder in leaflets of* Fragaria moschata *with healthy leaves of the neighboring plant on the left. The affected leaves start to resemble those of a garden strawberry* F. ananassa*. A male descendent grown from the seeds of an open pollinated flower of the Kotka occurrence (Table 1). The seed parent plant must have been a female clone pollinated by the 'Kotka' hermaphroditic mutant. June 13, 2020.*

*Hermaphroditism in* Fragaria moschata*, a Cultivated Strawberry Species… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103974*

The foliage of *F. moschata* and its hybrids start to senesce when the berries grow. These plants have a tendency in the autumn to make over-wintering, dark-green leaves characterized with short petioles about half those of the summer leaves.
