Potentilla/Fragaria?

[Stephenb]

Can anyone help with ID of this one, photographed in the Appeninnes in Italy in April?

[arisaema]

Potentilla micrantha perhaps?

[Paul T]

Pretty flower!!  What actually ARE the differences between Fragaria and Potentilla?  I know they'll interbreed (hence the pink flowered strawberry plants available nowadays) but never know how to actually tell them apart if needed.

[Lesley Cox]

It suggests Fragaria rather than Potentilla, to me. However, is there a possibility that it may be a Rubus?

[Stephenb]

Thanks, Arisaema. That looks like it.

Potentilla vs. Fragaria: The obvious one, of course, is that Fragaria has berries. Not sure if there is one characteristic which separates Potentilla and Fragaria early in the season? Most Fragaria have runners, hairy under the leaves etc.  Anyone else have a diagnostic feature?


...and, yes, I did notice that my Potentilla has hairy undersides to the leaves!