ROSACEAE  

Perennial or rarely annual herbs or shrubs, with erect or ascending stems, unarmed, +/- hairy. Leaves basal or alternate, petiolate, imparipinnate; pinnae serrated; stipules conspicuous, sheathing, adnate to petiole. Inflorescences densely capitate or spicate at ends of usually long slender and +/- branched stems. Flowers bisexual or occasionally upper flowers in each inflorescence pistillate, small. Calyx: tube turbinate, mouth contracted, persistent, sometimes 4-angled and tuberculate; bracts and 2 membranous bracteoles at base, sometimes 0; lobes 4(5 or 6), caducous, petaloid, imbricate, greenish, whitish or reddish, spreading. Petals 0. Stamens 4-30, inserted at mouth of calyx tube; filaments elongate, slender, exserted; anthers short. Disc lining calyx tube and closing its mouth. Gynoecium of 1-3 free carpels; ovules solitary in each, pendulous; style filiform, long or short; stigmas brush-like, reddish. Fruit an achene, usually solitary, enclosed in dry, corky, angular or +/- winged, tuberculate calyx tube. x= 7 (aneuploids, high polyploidy).

Erect, stoloniferous or climbing shrubs, deciduous or evergreen; stems and branches usually with hooked prickles and/or thorns. Leaves alternate, imparipinnate; leaflets serrate; stipules usually adnate to petiole for most of their length, sheathing with free auricles, persistent. Inflorescence corymbose, paniculate, umbellate clusters or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, large, terminal, rarely bracteate. Calyx: tube globose, ovoid, urceolate or ventricose, constricted at throat by a glandular ring, persistent; lobes (4)5(6), caducous or persistent, foliaceous, spreading or reflexed, entire or pinnatifid, imbricate in bud. Petals (4)5(6), usually obovate, tip often notched, spreading, white, red, pink or yellow. Stamens 30-200, in several whorls, inserted at throat of calyx tube; filaments free, thread-like. Disc lining calyx tube with thickened margin all but closing the mouth, silky. Gynoecium of many free carpels, sunk in calyx tube, often pubescent; ovules 1 or 2 per carpel, pendulous; styles subterminal, persistent, free or connate in a column protruding through opening of receptacle; stigma thickened. Fruit composed of many coriaceous or bony, often hairy, 1-seeded achenes, included in persistent, fleshy and coloured calyx tube. x= 7 (high polyploidy).

Evergreen shrubs, usually spiny; buds small, softly hairy. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, shortly petiolate; stipules minute, caducous. Inflorescence a compound corymb. Flowers bisexual, small. Calyx: tube short; lobes 5, triangular. Petals suborbicular, often with a notched apex, white or creamy. Stamens 20; anthers yellow. Ovary half-inferior; carpels 5, free on central axis, joined on dorsal side for +/- half their length to calyx tube; ovules 2 per carpel; styles free. Fruit small, globose, red, orange or yellow berries, crowned by persistent calyx lobes; pyrenes 5. x= 17.

Perennial, rarely annual herbs or undershrubs, erect or creeping with stoloniferous branches. Leaves alternate, compound; leaflets solitary, digitate or ternate, often lobed or further divided; stipules adnate to base of petiole. Inflorescences usually dense, terminal cymes; flowers rarely solitary and axillary; bracteate. Flowers usually bisexual. Calyx: tube concave or almost flat, persistent; lobes (4)5(6), erect or spreading, triangular-ovate, valvate; epicalyx present, green as calyx. Petals (4)5(6), obovate, circular or linear-spathulate, commonly yellow, occasionally white, pink, red or dark purple. Stamens 10-20(-30), perigynous, inserted with petals; anthers glabrous. Disc annular or lining receptacle. Gynoecium usually of many carpels, rarely few-1, inserted on convex or conical, hairy or glabrous receptacle; ovules solitary in each carpel, pendulous; styles long-filiform, caducous, +/- lateral; stigma truncate or capitate. Fruit an apocarpium composed of many 1-seeded achenes on a dry or spongy receptacle enclosed by accrescent calyx; achenes often smooth. Seed semiglobose; testa thin. x= 7 (aneuploids, high polyploidy).

Erect, rhizomatous, perennial herbs; roots sometimes pleasantly aromatic. Leaves radical, imparipinnate with terminal segments usually largest; cauline leaves few, often trifoliolate or bract-like; stipules adnate to petiole. Inflorescence a lax, terminal, 2-12-flowered cyme. Flowers bisexual, erect or nodding, honeyed. Calyx: tube saucer-shaped, persistent, with 5 bracteoles above its base; lobes 5, imbricate or valvate in bud. Petals 5, circular or obovate, longer than calyx, bright yellow. Stamens many, perigynous, inserted with petals; anthers glabrous. Disc lining receptacle smooth or grooved. Gynoecium of many free carpels on a columnar receptacle; ovules solitary in each carpel, pendulous; style filiform, straight or bent, elongating at maturity; stigma minute, punctiform. Fruit a cluster of 50-250 achenes borne on a cylindrical, dry receptacle, tipped with hardened, awn-like, hooked or curled persistent styles. Seeds rounded; testa thin. x= 7 (high polyploidy).