ROSACEAE
Morphological description
Plants sometimes spiny (Rosa p.p.*, Rubus).
Leaves
Leaves spiral, usually serrate; stipulate (except Spiraea). Sometimes leaves drying reddish brown, black glands below, fruit often weakly bilobed (Prunus).
Inflorescence
Inflorescence usually compound racemes, but can vary.
Flowers
Flowers actinomorphic, hypanthium tubular or cupular and more or less enclosing the fruit, style terminal (except Potentilla). Usually hermaphroditic, stamens numerous. Sometimes hooked bristles on hypanthium (Acaena, Agrimonia).
Fruit
Fruit: hypanthium tubular or cupular and more or less enclosing the fruit. Fruit often weakly bilobed (Prunus)
Seed
Seed.
Different from: Chrysobalanaceae: always trees, flowers more or less zygomorphic, style more or less excentric. — Symplocaceae: exstipulate, ovary inferior. — Saxifragaceae: usually exstipulate.
Distribution: World-wide; in Malesia 12 native genera, incl.: - Potentilla (world-wide), herbs of montane and alpine habitats; - Prunus (world-wide), trees and shrubs, mainly montane forest; - Rubus (world-wide), spiny scramblers, lowland to montane forest, open places.
Notes: Chrysobalanaceae were formerly included in the Rosaceae. — Edible fruit: Eriobotrya japonica*, Fragaria*, Malus*, Rubus (p.p.*). — Ornamentals: Rosa*.
Literature: C. Kalkman, Fl. Males. I, 11 (1993) 227-351.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Rosaceae 48, 58 - Acaena 95 - Agrimonia 37, 95 - Eriobotrya 92 - Malus 92 - Neillia 37 - Photinia 31, 69, 92 - Potentilla 1, 96 - Prunus 31, 34, 35, 59; P. phaeosticta 34 - Pyrus 92 - Raphiolepis 26 - Rosa 92 - Rubus 4, 34, 96.
Illustrations: Fig. 140. Prunus grisea Kalkm.: a. habit; b & c. flower; d. fruit. 233 Fig. 141. Rubus montis-wilhelmi Royen: a. habit; b-f. details of flower; g. ovary; h. fruit.
Image in PhytoImages for Rosaceae