Family name: Rosaceae Jussieu
Synonym(s): Agrimoniaceae Gray; Alchemillaceae Martinov; Amygdalaceae Marquis, nom. cons.; Cercocarpaceae J. Agardh; Coleogynaceae J. Agardh; Dryadaceae Gray; Fragariaceae Nestl.; Lindleyaceae J. Agardh; Malaceae Small, nom. cons.; Neilliaceae Miq.; Potentillaceae Bercht. & J. Presl; Prunaceae Martinov; Rhodotypaceae J. Agardh; Sanguisorbaceae Bercht. & J. Presl; Spiraeaceae Bertuch; Ulmariaceae Gray
Common name(s): rose family
*Number of genera/species: 111/2,950
List of genera records in GRIN-Global
Fruit usually indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
, achenesachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point or drupesdrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
, often aggregated, pomespome:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit in which the outer part is soft and the center contains papery or cartilaginous structures enclosing the seeds
, or dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
follicles, often aggregated, or rarely capsulescapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
, 1–150 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical to angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
, usually tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
, sometimes compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
(Potentilla, Rhodotypos) or laterally flattened (Holodiscus) in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length, stylesstyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
often persistent, forming short or long beaks (long, terminal, hairy stylesstyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
in Dryas and Geum). Fruit sometimes winged (Amygdaloideae), if winged, wings at both ends or only a apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
or may appear caudatecaudate:
tapering to a long, tail-like appendage
at both ends. Fruit 1-seeded (achene, drupeletdrupelet:
one drupe of a fruit with multiple drupes, as in blackberries
), usually few to less than 20-seeded (sometimes many-seeded in pomespome:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit in which the outer part is soft and the center contains papery or cartilaginous structures enclosing the seeds
), often enclosed by hypanthium and crowned by persistent calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
, or subtended by persistent calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
. Hypanthium, if present, fused to fruit wall, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
, and cupular or narrow-mouthed. Rarely fruit attached to enlarged, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
or not fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
torus. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
black, blue or purplish black, purple, brown, green, red, orange, yellow, or rarely white (Osteomeles), shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen, thickthick:
having or being of relatively great depth
or thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
walled, bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
, cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, fibrousfibrous:
texture—long, flexible threads, thicker than hairs, that densely cover and obscure the surface, woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
, or fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
, sometimes gritty, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
or pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, if pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
often densely so with short, white hairs, rarely with long-stalked glands (Neillia spp.). Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
(or hypanthium) smooth or ridgedridged:
surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out, punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted, or with bristles, spines, or protuberances. In pomespome:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit in which the outer part is soft and the center contains papery or cartilaginous structures enclosing the seeds
, the fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
layer is derived from hypanthial and/or carpellary tissue and may have sclereids (gritty) or not and have large pigment cells or not. A pome’s endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
may be firm-membranous, cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
or slightly woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
.
Fruit type by subfamily
Amygdaloideae: acheneachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, nutletnutlet:
˜achene
, or folliclefollicle:
a dry to (rarely) fleshy fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along a single longitudinal suture; the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa, often aggregated, or pomepome:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit in which the outer part is soft and the center contains papery or cartilaginous structures enclosing the seeds
, drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
, or capsule
Dryadoideae: acheneachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point or head of achenesachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point (with long persistent, terminal, hairy stylesstyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
, Dryas)
Rosoideae: acheneachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, 1 or 2 or numerous (Rosa) enclosed in hypanthium (with bristles Agrimonia, with spines Acaena, red and fleshy Aremonia, Sarcopoterium). Or folliclelike acheneachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point (Filipendula, indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
), head of achenesachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point (with long persistent, terminal, hairy stylesstyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
, Geum), or aggregated nutletsnutlet:
˜achene
(Leucosidea) or drupeletsdrupelet:
one drupe of a fruit with multiple drupes, as in blackberries
(Rubus)
Seed globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical to pyriform, rarely reniformreniform:
2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped (Potentilla), sometimes with fold between cotyledons and hypocotyl-radicle or notched, 1.5–5 mm long. Rapheraphe:
a ridge or seam on the seed coat, formed by the portion of the funiculus united to the ovule wall in longitudinally curved ovules
sometimes conspicuous. Arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
or arillike structure usually absent, except for carunclecaruncle:
a localized outgrowth of the seed coat near the hilum of the seed; it functions as an elaiosome
on Physocarpus seeds. Seed coat black or brown, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, usually thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
, firmfirm:
texture—yielding under only moderately strong pressure; only slightly deformable without internal structural disruption
, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, smooth or ridgedridged:
surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface, striatestriate:
surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges, pittedpitted:
surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net, papillatepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex, punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted, or wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out. Margins with markedly different tissue than rest of seed coat.
Embryo well developed, completely to nearly completely filling seed coat, axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric, foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
or linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide, straight, bentbent:
(of embryo) embryo is bent at an acute, V-shaped angle with the ends close together and generally thick cotyledons, or curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart. Cotyledons thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
, flat or once-folded, rarely convolute, with entire apicesapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
.
Endosperm endosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
usually thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
, sometimes absent, rarely copious (Kerria, Neillia, Physocarpus), if present fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
and smooth. Perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
present.
Noxious Weeds: USA Federal Noxious Weed List, terrestrial, Rubus fruticosus Linnaeus agg. (complex), Rubus moluccanus Linnaeus.
More about these species on the Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the US ID tool.
Fruit | |
Type | achene, folliclefollicle: a dry to (rarely) fleshy fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along a single longitudinal suture; the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa ![]() (indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds ![]() an indehiscent, fleshy fruit in which the outer part is soft and the center contains papery or cartilaginous structures enclosing the seeds ![]() |
Size range | 1–150 mm long |
Shape(s) | globose, cymbiformcymbiform: 3D shape - boat-shaped, navicular , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded ![]() 3D shape—ovate ![]() 3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end ![]() 3D shape—lanceolate , falcatefalcate: shaped like a scythe or sickle ![]() 2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped ![]() |
Texture | thick thick: having or being of relatively great depth or thinthin: having or being of relatively little depth walled, bonybony: very hard and rather brittle, like bone , cartilaginouscartilaginous: texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage , leatheryleathery: texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable , fibrousfibrous: texture—long, flexible threads, thicker than hairs, that densely cover and obscure the surface ![]() texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood , fleshyfleshy: texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut , sometimes gritty |
Surface relief | smooth, ridgedridged: surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface ![]() surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface ![]() surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out ![]() surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted ![]() |
Color(s) | black, blue or purplish black, purple, brown, green, red, orange, yellow, rarely white |
Unique features | Five types of fruits. 1) Small achenesachene: a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point ![]() in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit ![]() a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point ![]() texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut central tissue. 2) Aggregateaggregate: fruit formed from a single flower with carpels several and distinct ![]() (indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds ![]() a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point ![]() texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut pulp surrounding seeds. |
Seed | |
Size range | 1.5–5 mm long |
Shape(s) | globose, ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide ![]() spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends ![]() 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded ![]() 3D shape—ovate ![]() 3D shape—lanceolate , pyriform, rarely reniform |
Surface relief | smooth, ridgedridged: surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface ![]() surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges ![]() surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net ![]() surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex ![]() surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted ![]() |
Color(s) | black, brown |
Other | |
Embryo | well developed, completely to nearly completely filling seed coat, axileaxile: on or of the axis and centric, foliatefoliate: appearing leaf-like or linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide ![]() (of embryo) embryo is bent at an acute, V-shaped angle with the ends close together and generally thick cotyledons ![]() (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart ![]() having or being of relatively little depth , flat or once-folded, rarely convolute, with entire apicesapex: the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ ![]() |
Nutritive tissuenutritive tissue: tissue within the seeds that nourishes the developing embryo; such as endosperm, perisperm, or chalazosperm in angiosperms; megagametophyte in gymnosperms |
endosperm endosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds ![]() having or being of relatively little depth , sometimes absent, rarely copious (Kerria, Neillia, Physocarpus), if present fleshyfleshy: texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut and smooth. Perispermperisperm: seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue) present. |
Nearly worldwide, diverse in subtropics and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.
Hyde et al. 2021c+; Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+; Kirkbride et al. 2006; Kubitzki et al. 1990+; Liu et al. 2019; Nooteboom et al. 2021+; Noxious Weed Regulations 2020; Phipps 1992; Takhtajan 2009; Tutin et al. 1968; USDA 1980
*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.