This ppt contains all about the family Rosaceae under Dicotyledons. It explains about its systematic position, general characters, phylogenetic affinities, floral formula and diagram, economic importance and important genera under this family.

1. Dr. Sangeeta Das
Assistant Professor
Department of Botany
Bahona College, Jorhat, Assam, India.
Rosaceae-Rose family

3. Systematic Position:
Class: Dicotyledones
Sub-class: Polypetalae
Series: Calyciflorae
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
General characters:
Perennial herbs, shrubs, and trees.
Vegetative reproduction takes place in several ways for
example by runners, by suckers and leafy buds are
formed on the roots of some species Pyrus and Prunus.
Leaves are petiolate, alternate, stipulate and simple (e.g.
Pyrus and Prunus ) or pinnately (Rubus and Rosa) or
palmately compound (Fragaria and Potentilla).

4. General characters:
Inflorescence: Racemes, Corymbs or thyrsoid panicles.
Flower: Pedicellate; bracteate, Regular; complete,
actinomorphic, hermaphrodite or sometimes
polygamous, pentamerous, hypogynous or perigynous.
Sometimes epigynous.
Calyx: 5 petals, free or basally connate; the calyx tube is
free or adnate to ovary, aestivation is imbricate or
valvate.
Epicalyx: In some species (e.g. Fragaria) an epicalyx of
small green leaves is present outside.

5. General characters:
Corolla: 5 petals. In cultivated species of Rosa there are
numerous petals usually imbricate in bud. Sometimes
they are absent (Alchemilla) or very small (Neurada).
Androecium: Usually numerous. In some species
(Agrimonia) there is a single whorl of stamens alternating
with the sepal lobes.
Gynoecium: It shows much variation. The number of
carpels is one to many, the gynoecium consists of either
one compound carpel (syncarpous) or many simple
carpels (apocarpous). The carpels are usually situated
within the hypanthium.

6. General characters:
Fruits are of different types e.g., pome (Pyrus),
drupe (Prunus), follicles, etaerio of achenes (rosa),
etc.
Seeds: Endosperm usually absent.

7. Floral parts of Rosa indica:

8. Floral Formula:
Important Genera of the family are Rosa indica (rose), Pyrus malus
(apple), Prunus persica (peach) , Fragaria vesca (Strawberry)
Eriobotrya japonica (loquat), Prunus persica (Aru), etc.
Important Genera:

9. Important Plants:

10. Phylogenetic Affinities:
Rosaceae, included under order Rosales of series Calyciflorae of
subclass Polypetalae by Bentham and Hooker, are perhaps allied to
Calycanthaceae in the order Laurales and to Myrtaceae (Hickey and
King, 1988).
Some believe Rosaceae to be allied to Saxifragaceae.
Hutchinson believed that Rosaceae is derived from the same stock as
Dilleniaceae.
Rosaceae is also related to Leguminosae, having monocarpellary pistil
and in Chrysobalanoideae the flowers being zygomorphic.
Fockey in Pflanzenfamilien divided Rosaceae into 6 subfamilies
(Spiraeoideae, Pomoideae, Rosoideae, Neuradoideae, Prunoideae and
Chrysobalanoideae) whereas Hutchinson divided Rosaceae into 20
tribes.
However, majority of the recent workers (Jones and Luchsinger, 1987;
Hickey and King, 1988, etc.) divide Rosaceae into 4 well-marked
subfamilies---Spiraeoideae, Maloideae, Rosoideae and Prunoideae.

11. Economic importance:
Fruits:
1. Prunus persica (Peach).
• The fruits are edible and rich in vitamins;.
• The oil is obtained from the seeds which is used for cooking
and other purposes.
2. Prunus domestica (Plum)-The fruits are edible.
3. Prunus amygdalus (Almond).
• This is a tree yielding edible seeds.
• The oil obtained from the seeds of both the varieties is used
in perfumery and medicinal purposes.
4. Prunus armenica (Apricot)-
• The fruits are edible and rich in vitamins.

12. Economic importance:
Fruits:
5. Prunus cerasoides (cherry)-
• The fruit is edible and the wood is used for walking sticks.
6. Eriobotrya japonica (Lokat)-Fruits are edible.
7. Fragaria chiloensis (Garden strawberry)-
• Used as edible fruits.
8. Pyrus communis (Pear)-The fruits are edible.
9. Pyrus malus (Apple)- The fruits are edible, delicious, rich in
iron and vitamins.
10. Pyrus pyrifolia (Chinese pear)
• Used as edible fruits

13. Economic importance:
Ornamental Plants: A large number of plants of this family
are ornamental. They are grown in gardens for their
beautiful and scented flowers.
• The genus Rosa is widely cultivated for decorative purpose.
Rosa damascena. Rosa centifolia, Rosa chinensis and Rosa
alba have been in cultivation since ancient times.
• Many other genera such as Spiraea corymbosa and Spiraea
cantoniensis are also grown in gardens and parks for
beautiful flowers.

14. Economic importance:
Wood:
• The branches of Crataegus are used as walking sticks and
wood.
• The wood of Pints pactia is used for making tobacco
pipes.

15. Economic importance:
Commercial uses: The petals of some common roses
are called gulabs in many Asian countries like Pakistan.
These petals are used for making gulkand. Petals of rose
are used tor extraction of rose oil. This oil is used in
perfumes.
Medicinal uses:
• The petals give Ark-Gulab on distillation with water. This
Ark-Gulab is used for curing eye disease and for many
other purposes.
• Potentilla nepalensis-this is medicinal plant used as a
remedy for burns.
• Potentilla reptans-The infusion of the herb is used as a
remedy of diarrhoea.