April 20, Mount Auburn Cemetery, Watertown
This Old World species has been often mislabeled in nurseries as the native Waldsteinia fragarioides and promoted as a native groundcover. In the native (rare and state-listed) species, petals are narrower--not orbicular, not overlapping, while leaf blades have shorter sinuses. Most importantly, the structure typical for many rose family plants, epicalyx consisting of bracteoles alternating with the calyx lobes is present in the non-native species but absent/rudimentary in native. For a closer view of calyx and epicalyx see the next image. As of spring 2023, we don't yet have photographs of the state-listed native species. For comparison shots see: W.F.Nichols, A.Schori, A.Lamb, A.Haines 2022 (Rhodora 2020, issued March 31, 2022, Vol. 122, No. 992, p. 332-335).