Arbutus unedo L., syn.: Arbutus serratifolia Salisb., Arbutus salicifolia Hoffmanns. Family: Ericaceae Juss. EN: Strawberry Tree.; DE: Westliche Erdbeerbaum Slo.: navadna jagodičnica 1. Arbutus unedo L., syn.: Arbutus serratifolia Salisb., Arbutus salicifolia Hoffmanns. Family: Ericaceae Juss. EN: Strawberry Tree.; DE: Westliche Erdbeerbaum Slo.: navadna jagodičnica Dat.: Oct. 16. 2023 Lat.: 44.80575 Long.: 14.37251 Code: Bot_1553/2023_DSC1153 Picture file names: from Arbutus-unedo_raw_10 to Arbutus-unedo_raw_16. Habitat: macchia, moderately inclined mountain slope, southwest aspect; calcareous, stony ground; dry and warm place; average precipitations ~ 900 mm/year, average temperature 12-14 deg C, elevation 75 m (250 feet), Sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil among rocks. Place: Adriatic Sea region, island Cres, above village Miholašćica, Kvarner bay, Rijeka region, Croatia. Comments (pertain to pictures in Flicker album Arbutus unedo): Arbutus unedo - Strawberry Tree is an evergreen shrub or small tree (sometimes quite impressive, see Fig. 15) of Mediterranean basin. It is a common element in macchia shrub community and certainly one of the most beautiful member of it. Because of its beauty it is widely used in horticulture. Its deep green, leathery, shiny leaves, red fruits, and white flowers recall the colors of the Italian flag and hence it is the national tree of Italy. It also appears on the coat of arms of the Spanish capital Madrid. The fruits ripen the whole year and can often be seen on the plant alongside the flowers. The flowers bloom through the late fall and winter, providing a rare source of nectar for overwintering insects. The fruits are edible, they are used mostly for marmalade and in the production of different alcohol beverages. They can be eaten raw but only when fully ripe. However, it is not recommended to eat many of them. Plants' species name 'unedo' comes from Latin (Plinius) 'unum tantum edo', which means 'eat only one'. Namely, the fruit contain sugars, which transform to alcohol manitol, which is slightly poisonous (Ref.: 5). Ref.: (1) A. Martinči et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnična Založba Slovenije (2007), p 485. (2) T. Nikolić, Flora Croatica, Vaskularna flora Republike Hrvatske, Vol. 2., Alfa d.d.. Zagreb (2020) p 726. (3) M. Blamey, C. Grey-Wilson, Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean, A & C Black, London (2005), p 1176. (4) R. Domac, Flora Hrvatske, Priručnik za Određivanje bilja, II. edition (2002), Školska knjiga, Zagreb, p 251. (5) R. Brus, Drevesa in grmi Jadrana (Trees and bushes of Adria) (in Slovene), Modrijan Pub, (2012), p 455.
