Rose (Family Rosaceae)
The Rosaceae or Rose Family is a large family of flowering plants,
with about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the
type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla (270),
Sorbus (260), Crataegus (260), Cotoneaster (260), and Rubus (250).
The largest genus by far is Prunus (plums, cherries, peaches, apricots
and almonds) with about 430 species. However, all of these numbers
should be seen as underestimates - much taxonomic work is left to be
done before the Rosaceae family is fully understood.
Roses can be herbs, shrubs or trees. Most species are deciduous, but
some are evergreen. They have a worldwide range, but are most
diverse in the northern hemisphere.
Several economically important products come from the Rosaceae,
these include many edible fruits (such as apples, apricots, plums,
cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, and strawberries), almonds,
and ornamental trees and shrubs (such as roses, meadowsweets,
photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns).
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