ROSACEAE - Rose Family

Herbs, shrubs, and trees

Leaves alternate, simple, with paired stipules

Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, often perigynous, solitary to racemose and cymose



Calyx, corolla, and androecium attached to rim of hypanthium

Fruit an achene, follicle, or drupe

Seed without endosperm

Economic importance:
Rosa - rose
Rubus - blackberry, dewberry, raspberry
Pyrus - pear
Malus - apple
Prunus - plum, peach, nectarine, cherry, apricot, almond
Many other ornamentals

Diagnostic characteristics: numerous stamens, hypanthium

100 genera, 3000 species divided into 4 subfamilies based mainly on fruit types

SUBFAMILIES OF THE ROSIDAE

Spiraeoideae - fruit dry, a follicle or capsule,

Maloideae - fruit a pome

Rosoideae - gynoecium of 10 or more pistils, fruit often dry, aggregate and accessory fruits are also found in this subfamily. Strawberries (derived from the receptacle) and rose hips (derived from the hypanthium) are both accessory fruits. The "real" fruits in both these cases are achenes. Blackberries and raspberries are aggregates of miniature drupes.

Prunoideae - fruit a drupe or achene

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