The Rosaceae

The Rosaceae is the rose family. Plants of the Rosaceae have...

  • a well-developed hypanthium
  • 5 petals (although some have no petals; horticultural varieties have been bred that have numerous petals)
  • many stamens (usually--a few species only have 5 stamens)

The ovary can be superior or inferior, and different species produce different types of fruits. Many of our domesticated fruit crops (apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.) are in this family.

Members of the Rosaceae - by Elizabeth Twining
Members of the Rosaceae [Painter: Elizabeth Twining]

 The flower below shows typical characteristics of the Rosaceae: five petals, 5 sepals, and many stamens attached to the lip of a hypanthium.

Flower of Prunus, in the Rosaceae
Flower of a Prunus species, in the Rosaceae

Species of the Rosaceae may have inferior ovaries or superior ovaries, and they may have one pistil or multiple pistils.

The flowers below are all from species in the Rosaceae.

Flowers of the Rosaceae (from Groom 1898)
Flowers of the Rosaceae (from Groom 1898)

Check your understanding:

In working through the key to plants in the Rosaceae, you will probably be asked about the shape of the hypanthium. Is it cup-shaped or is it obconic (like an inverted cone) or funnel-like?

Face view and longitudinal section of a species of Prunus
Face view and longitudinal section of a species of Prunus