If strawberry plants reproduce asexually, why do they have seeds on the outside?

it just seems a waste having seeds when it will reproduce asexually. could it be how they used to reproduce, a failed attempt at normal reproduction?

any insight would be great,

thanks
If strawberry plants reproduce asexually, why do they have seeds on the outside?
many plants use asuexual reproduction as a sort of fail-safe in case they are not pollinated. I believe strawberries have male and female sexual parts on the same plant (unlike, say, holly). But reproducing by runners and seed would allow the plant to expand as much as possible in that season.



Here's a scenario that might help explain.

If we have three different strawberry plants competing for the same ground, one of them will probably have some slight difference that makes it better suited for the area. So it will eventually outcompete the others and dominate that spot. But while it's doing that, the three plants will also be cross pollinating each other, creating new genetically unique seeds. Some of the fruits %26amp; seeds will be eaten by animals and pooped out elsewhere, where one of those new genetically unique plants will be best suited for THAT location.



Now, if you want a cool plant, look at bananas. They are technically berries, but the grocery store variety has evolved so closely alongside humans that it long ago stopped putting energy into seeds and now relies solely on humans for reproduction.
Reply:another way to look at this problem

birds and animals will carry away the seeds widdening the plants range.much quicker than the slow advance of runners.

if say caterpillars /grubs destroyed the plant ,there would be a chance that some seeds would survive.
Reply:All plants can reproduce either sexually or asexually, that's why they're so successful.



By the way, strawberries are not fruits. The real strawberry fruit is what we normally call seeds. So, the strawberry is a collection of many fruits, called infrutescence.
Reply:yes, strawberry plants reproduce asexually. But it is not the fruit which is the seed. The seeds that are on the outside are what is used to produce the offspring.
Reply:Asexual reproduction works when conditions are favourable but the seeds can survive when conditions are not favourable. They can overwinter in a dormant state and germinate in the spring. The parent plant may not survive the winter so neither would its runners.
Reply:Many plants have more than one way to reproduce to ensure they can conquer the world!

Asexual reproduction will produce exactly the same plant in every way - whereas the seeds could have been cross pollinated witha different strawberry and could create a completely different fruit the following year.
Reply:Asexually reproduced plants have the same set of genes as the original plant. Strawberries still have seeds though to allow to create plants with a mixed set of genes. Every seed has a different combination of genes coming from the mother and father plant. The plants from these seeds are all slightly different (= genetic diversification). This is important, since new plants with more optimal properties (for instance to adapt to the environment) can evolve from the original plants