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Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
School of Biology
April 2000
Kerstin Nordstrom
THE ROSE - FAMILY
(ROSACEAE)
The Rose family - rosaceae – comprises about 3000 species of plants mainly spread in
temperate countries. Some of them are very important as edible fruit trees (Almonds,
cherries, apples, etc.) or as cultivated flowers (roses, for example)
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/1244/familiarosaceasangles.htm)
Taxonomy
Division:
Class:
Subclass:
Order:
Family:
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliae
Rosidae
Rosales
Rosaceae
Description
Habit: Rosacidae consists of trees, or shrubs, or herbs, non-laticiferous and without
coloured juice. The herbs are usually perennial, with a basal aggregation of leaves, or
with neither basal nor terminal aggregations of leaves. They can be self-supporting, or
climbing. They are helophytic, mesophytic, or xerophytic.
(http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/index.htm)
Leaves :(1) They are usually deciduous or evergreen.
Generally alternate, composite or simple. Leaves are
stipulate (usually), or exstipulate (in Spiraea etc.)
Inflorescence: Flowers can be solitary, or aggregated in
‘inflorescences’; in cymes, in panicles, in racemes, in
corymbs, in umbels, and in fascicles.
Stems: (2) The stems are very changing, erect or
climbing. Ligneous or herbaceous.
Flowers: (3) Flowers are small to large, often fragrant,
usually regular, cyclic, or partially acyclic. Calyx - 5 free sepals, corolla - 5 free petals,
stamens many, ovary - inferior or semi inferior, carpel’s - many.
Fruit: The fruit can be fleshy, or non-fleshy, an aggregate (when carpels free), or not an
aggregate.
Drupes (4)
Pomes (5)
Achenes (6)
(http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/1244/familiarosaceasangles.htm)
Geography
Rosacidae is cosmopolitan. You can find it in the Frigid Zone to tropical Zone.
(http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/rosaceae.htm)
Representative genera and species
Genera
AGRIMONIA,
ALCHEMILLA,
AMELANCHIER,
APHANES,
ARUNCUS,
COTONEASTER,
CRAETAGUS,
CYDONIA,
DRYAS,
ERIOBOTRYA,
MALUS,
MESPILUS
FILIPENDULA
FRAGARIA
GEUM
POTENTILLA,
PRUNUS
PYRACANTHA
PYRUS
ROSA
RUBUS
SANGUISORBA
SIBBALDIA
SORBUS
SPIRAEA
Species
Agrimonia eupatoria
Alchemilla alpina
Cydonia oblonga
Filipendula ulmaria
Filipendula vulgaris
Fragaria vesca
Malus domestica
Potentilla reptans
Prunus avium
Prunus dulcis
Prunus malaheb
Prunus spinosa
Pyrus communis
Rosa canina
Rubus ulmifolius
Sanguisorba minor
Sorbus domestica
Spiraea salicifolia
(http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/1244/familiarosaceasaagnles.htm)
Uses (economically important species)
Edible fruits from Malus spp. (apples), Prunus spp. (apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach,
plums, prune, sloe), Cydonia (quince), Pyrus (pear), Eriobotrya (loquat), Rubus
(blackberry, boysenberry, loganberry, rasberry), Fragaria (strawberry), Mespilus
(medlar); nuts (Prunus — almond); many ornamental trees and shrubs or hedge-plants,
e.g. Spiraea, Photinia, Kerria, Cotoneaster, Pyracantha, Crataegus, Sorbus, Rhodotypos,
Prunus, Rosa, Potentilla; and some widely naturalized pests (e.g. from Acaena,
Crataegus, Cotoneaster, Pyracantha). (http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/rosaceae.htm)
Malus domestica
Apple is a quite big tree with big spread branches. The leaves are about 5 – 6 cm long
whit short petioles. They are whitish at the underneath. The petals are white, pink or
reddish and the stamens have a yellow colour. The fruit, the apple can be very varying in
its shape and colour but it is usually red at the sunlit side.
(http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/rosa/malus/maludom.html)
Prunus dulcis
Perennial tree of the Rose family – Rosaceae up to 10 m tall.
Erect stems of dark cracked bark. Leaves sharp, ovatelanceolate, toothed at the edge till 12 cm long. Flowers grouped
in pairs, pink-white, completely pink or, most infrequently
white. Fruit in drupe, whit the mesocarp initially soft, but
becoming stiff as it becomes ripe. It comes from Asia
originally but is usually cultivated in warm Mediterranean
places.
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/1244/fotosprunusdulcis.htm
Fragaria Vesca L. (Strawberry)
Perennial plant of the rose family which sprouts every
year. Leaves and flowers spring from almost the ground,
both with a similar length. Flowering stems with no
leaves holding flowers with five petals, five sepals and
numerous stamens. It produces long rooting stolons
where new plants may grow. The fruit, which is
commonly, know as the strawberry, it is a red small berry
(see image of the fruits)
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/1244/fotos6.htm
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/1244/fresafruits.gif
Useful information
In the family Rosaceae there is a species (Rosa canina), which can be useful for your
health.
Rosa canina - (Dogrose)
Perennial bush of the Rose family - Rosaceae - up to 2 m tall. Vine shoot like stems,
green, pendulous, with strong hooked prickles. Composite leaves, 3- 4 pairs of toothed,
oval leaflets. Solitary flowers or in 1-4 corymbs. White or pink, till 4 cm wide with
numerous stamens and sepals, which fall before the fruit, is ripe. Fruit 2 cm wide, dark
red (Hips). You can find Rosa canina in woods, hedges and by the side of the roads.
Medicinal
Digestive: Dry petals, soaked for 5 minutes in hot water. Take after meals.
Anti- inflammatory: - rose ointment-: According to ancient Greek, the petals had to be
soaked with olive oil and wine in the sun.
Eyewash: Pour boiling water over 10 gr. of dry flowers. Put a soaked compress on the
eyes.
Vitaminic: Having removed the seeds, which we must be careful of
since they are poisonous for our spine, smash the fruit pulp and mix
it up in equal parts with sugar to eat it as a marmalade. They are very
rich in vitamin C.
Picking and storing: Roots must be picked at the beginning of spring,
leaves in late spring and petals before the flower bloom - They must
be air dried on a piece of cloth and kept in airtight containers in a dry
spot. The hips should be collected in autumn.
(http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/1244/medicinalsrosacaninaangles
.htm)
Poem
The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple’s a rose,
And the pear is, and so’s
The plum, I suppose
… What will next prove a rose
(Robert Frost, ‘The Rose Family’)
(http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/rosaceae.htm)
Kerstin Nordstrom
School of Biology
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki