- Region
- South America
- Origin
- The coast and mountains of Chile and Argentina, and the Pacific coast of North America
- Traditions
- Mapuche medicine
South America · Herb · № 867
Fragaria chiloensis
Herb · South America
Chilean strawberry (kelleñ)
Fragaria chiloensis
A wild strawberry with large, fragrant fruits, one of the parents of the garden strawberry. The leaf contains tannins.
Safety notes
The fruits are food; people allergic to strawberries should avoid them. Traditional use is no proof of effect; consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.
Cautions by tradition (1)
- Healing traditions of the Americas: People allergic to strawberries should avoid the fruits.
Preparation
Fruits fresh or dried; leaf and root as a tea.
Use in traditions
Kelleñ in Mapudungun. The Mapuche picked the fruits in summer, ate them fresh, dried them for winter and made a festive drink from them; they also cultivated the plant. Tea of leaf and root was used for diarrhoea, bleeding and poor digestion. In the eighteenth century the French officer Frézier took plants to Europe, where a cross gave rise to the garden strawberry.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Healing traditions of the Americas
Attributed effects
The fruits as food and for a festive drink; tea of leaf and root for diarrhoea.
Preparation and amount
Eat the fruits fresh or dried; steep a small handful of leaves for 5 to 10 minutes.
Caution: People allergic to strawberries should avoid the fruits.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Tea (infusion)