Rosaceae

Defining Characteristics

• Alternate leaves typically with stipules (often fused to petiole)
• Flowers with 5 petals, 5 sepals, and usually many (15–many) free stamens
• Hypanthium (floral cup or tube) formed by fusion of receptacle and basal parts of sepals, petals, and stamens — key diagnostic feature
• Highly diverse fruit types: drupe (cherry, plum), pome (apple, pear), achene (strawberry receptacle, rose hip), aggregate of drupelets (raspberry), or follicles
• Often with epicalyx (extra whorl of sepal-like structures) in some subfamilies

Notable Genera

• Rosa (rose)
• Malus (apple)
• Prunus (cherry, plum, peach, almond)
• Fragaria (strawberry)
• Rubus (blackberry, raspberry)
• Crataegus (hawthorn)
• Pyrus (pear)
• Sorbus (mountain ash)
• Potentilla (cinquefoil)

Notes

One of the most economically important plant families globally, providing apples, pears, cherries, plums, peaches, almonds, apricots, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Roses are the world's most commercially significant ornamental flower. Many species produce cyanogenic glycosides in seeds and leaves.