[pvaldes]

> The difference is that the whole strawberry patch looks the same.

In fact this depends a lot on the location, soil and age of the clones.

> The ferns, by contrast, differ markedly in morphology and reproduction depending on their role in the colony."

First of all, population is not the same as colony.

Second, many plants have auxiliary structures (temporary, marcescent or permanent). The concept of bract, thorn, nectarium or stipula is not a strange one for botanists but those are parts of one individual, not individuals in a colony.

Is well known that gametophytes and sporophytes are different individuals. Many algae and ferns have it. If we want to bend the concepts for non useful reasons, then any pregnant woman should be called an "eusocial colony" with three individuals.