Plants stoloniferous, 4–25 cm tall. Leaves 3-foliolate, lateral leaflets often distinctly petiolulate, elliptic or obovate, abaxially appressed white sericeous (sometimes sparsely so between veins) appearing silvery, adaxially appressed pilose, base broadly cuneate or rounded, margin sharply incised serrate, apex obtuse. Stems and petioles appressed to spreading. Inflorescence 1- to several flowered. Pedicels appressed white sericeous. Flowers large, sometimes more than 2.5cm diam. Epicalyx segments lanceolate, abaxially sparsely villous, margin entire to dentate, apex acuminate. Sepals ovate-lanceolate or ovate-oblong, apex acuminate. Petals white, obovate-elliptic. Stamens numerous. Carpels numerous. Glandetum ovoid, fleshy, red, with persistent sepals appressed. Achenes ovoid, smooth to rugose.

Fl.Per.: May-Aug.

Lectoype: Tibet (Xizang), Gosainthan. Wall. Catalogue No.1238 (K!). Isolectotypes (K!, K-W!).

Distribution: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim.

Grows in wooded valleys, forest margins and meadows on mountain slopes, 1500-3600 m.

Fruits edible, gathered and sold by local children.

Although Fragaria nubicola is closely related to Fragaria vesca, it is generally recognised to be a distinct species characterised by appressed persistent sepals in fruit (this may be difficult to see in herbarium material).

The cultivated strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier, is a hybrid of two American species, Fragaria chiloensis (L) Mill., native to South America and W North America, and Fragaria virginiana Mill., native to E North America. It is characterised by large, tasty fruits to 3cm diameter with sepals appressed, and spreading hairs on stems, petioles and pedicels.