Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Potentilla indica (Andrews) Th. Wolf

Synonyms

Duchesnea indica (Andrews) Focke
Fragaria indica Andrews

Family

Rosaceae

Common Names

false strawberry, Indian strawberry, Indian mock-strawberry, mock strawberry, old-world strawberry, wild Indian strawberry, wild strawberry, yellow-flowered strawberry

Origin

Native to the Indian Sub-continent (i.e. Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan), Afghanistan, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and south-eastern Asia (i.e. Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines).

Naturalised Distribution

Widely naturalised in the wetter parts of eastern and southern Australia (i.e. in south-eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. Also naturalised on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

Naturalised overseas in the USA and on La Réunion.

Notes

Indian strawberry (Potentilla indica) is regarded as a "sleeper weed" or minor environmental weed in some parts of New South Wales (e.g. in the wider Sydney and Blue Mountains region) and Victoria. It tends to grow in wetter sites and is sometimes found in conservation areas (e.g. it is present in the Irrawong Reserve in the Sydney region). Its fruit are readily dispersed by birds and it spreads laterally via creeping stems (i.e. stolons).