ROSACEAE ROSE FAMILY Plant: herbs, vines, shrubs and trees Stem: Root: Leaves: simple or pinnately compound, mostly alternate but rarely opposite; stipules present but may fall early, or without stipules Flowers: mostly perfect, a few dioecious, regular (actinomorphic); (4)5 sepals; (4)5 petals or sometimes none; stamens 1-10 to many, often in multiples of 5 around central cup; ovary inferior to sub-inferior or rarely superior, 3- many carpels,1 to many pistils Fruit: fleshy or dry seed or fruit, various forms Other: large family; ornamentals such as roses; fruits such as apples, cherries, peaches, plums, etc. as well as strawberries, blackberries and raspberries; Dicotyledons Group Genera: 125+ genera WARNING family descriptions are only a layman s guide and should not be used as definitive
Flower Morphology in the Mostly 5 sepals and 5 petals usually with many stamens; leaves mostly alternate or pinnately compound; often with stipules Examples of some common genera (A-M) Black Chokeberry Photinia melanocarpa (Michx.) Robertson & Phipps [Sesquehana] Sand Cherry Prunus susquehanae hort. ex Willd. Pasture [Carolina] Rose Rosa Carolina L. [Common] Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim. Callery [Bradford] Pear Pyrus calleryana Decne. (Introduced) Thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus Nutt. [Old-Field] Common Cinquefoil Potentilla simplex Michx. Jetbead Rhodotypos scandens (Thunb.) Makino (Introduced) Steeplebush [Hardhack] Spiraea tomentosa L.
ROSACEAE ROSE FAMILY Black Chokeberry; Photinia melanocarpa (Michx.) Robertson & Phipps Ninebark; Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim. Silvery [Silver] Cinquefoil; Potentilla argentea L. (Introduced) Varileaf Cinquefoil; Potentilla diversifolia Lehm. Sulfur Cinquefoil; Potentilla recta L. (Introduced) Rough [Norwegian] Cinquefoil; Potentilla norvegica L. ssp. monspeliensis (L.) Aschers. & Graebn [Old-Field] Common Cinquefoil; Potentilla simplex Michx. Sweet Cherry; Prunus avium L. (Introduced) Mexican [Big Tree; Wild] Plum; Prunus mexicana S. Watson Wild Goose Plum; Prunus munsoniana W. Wight & Hedrick Black Cherry; Prunus serotina Ehrh. var. serotina [Sesquehana Sandcherry]; Prunus susquehanae hort. ex Willd. [Prunus pumila L. var. cuneata (Raf.) Bailey] Chokecherry; Prunus virginiana L. var. virginiana Antelope Bitterbrush; Purshia tridentata (Pursh) DC. Callery [Bradford] Pear; Pyrus calleryana Decne. (Introduced) Jetbead; Rhodotypos scandens (Thunb.) Makino (Introduced) Prickly Rose; Rosa acicularis Lindl. Pasture [Carolina] Rose; Rosa Carolina L. Multiflora Rose; Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murr. (Introduced) Swamp Rose; Rosa palustris Marsh. Thimbleberry; Rubus parviflorus Nutt.
ROSACEAE ROSE FAMILY Creeping Sibbaldia [Cloverleaf Rose]; Sibbaldia procumbens L. Three-Toothed Cinquefoil [Shrubby Fivefingers]; Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (Aiton) Rydb. (Potentilla tridentata) False Spiraea; Sorbaria sorbifolia (L.) A. Braun European Mountain Ash; Sorbus aucuparia L. (Introduced) White Meadowsweet; Spiraea alba Du Roi var. alba Steeplebush [Hardhack]; Spiraea tomentosa L.
Black Chokeberry Photinia melanocarpa (Michx.) Robertson & Phipps Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: small shrub; flowers white (pink), small; leaves finely toothed, mostly glabrous, usually with a line of glands along the upper midrib; twigs and buds mostly glabrous to somewhat hairy; fruit a red berry turning black [V Max Brown, 2004]
[Common] Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim. Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: common shrub; 5-petaled flower, white to pinkish, sepals green; leaves alternate, with rounded lobes and toothed; bark very scaly or shreddy; fruit in umbel-like clusters of capsules often lasting through winter (varieties based on pubescent of capsules) [V Max Brown, 2004]
Silvery [Silver] Cinquefoil Potentilla argentea L. (Introduced) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-petaled flower, yellow, petals exceeding sepals; leaflets deeply (3-5) toothed or lobed, underside of leaflets and stem silvery pubescent; plant erect; late spring to early fall [V Max Brown, 2004] USDA Leaf bottom
Sulfur Cinquefoil Potentilla recta L. (Introduced) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-petaled flower, pale yellow and notched; palmate leaves, 5-7 leaflets, narrow and coarsely toothed, not silvery pubescent beneath but may have some long hairs; mostly single stemmed below flowering branches; erect plant; late spring to fall [V Max Brown, 2007]
Rough [Norwegian] Cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica L. ssp. monspeliensis (L.) Aschers. & Graebn Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Ottawa County, Ohio Notes: 5-petaled flower, yellow, sepals longer than petals; palmate leaf, 3 leaflets, serrate; stem hairy, erect to sprawling, stout, branched; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006]
Varileaf Cinquefoil Potentilla diversifolia Lehm. Fraser area, Grand County, Colorado Notes: 5-petaled flower, bright yellow, tip truncated with narrow base, pedicels long; leaves mostly basal with long petioles, leaves palmate, 5-7 leaflets, coarsely toothed (especially in upper half), USDA moderately hairy on both surfaces or not, sometimes silvery haired below; erect plant; lower elevations to alpine environments; summer (several varieties) [V Max Brown, 2012]
[Old-Field] Common Cinquefoil Potentilla simplex Michx. Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-petaled flower, yellow, solitary on long pedicel, petals usually longer than sepals; palmate leaf with 5(-7) leaflets, commonly coarsely toothed on distal ¾ of leaflet; mostly prostrate plant when mature, rooting at tip; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2004]
Sweet Cherry Prunus avium L. (Introduced) Rosaceae (Rose) Family Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub to tree; 5-petaled flower, white, large, on pedicels of several cm; bark thin, scaly, becoming dark; leaves ovate to oblong, serrate, pubescent on veins below, 10-14 pairs of veins; twigs thick; winter buds large and scaled; fruit red and sweet [V Max Brown, 2004]
Mexican [Big Tree; Wild] Plum Prunus mexicana S. Watson Rosaceae (Rose) Family Wilson s Creek National Battlefield, Greene County, Missouri Notes: shrub to small tree; 5-petaled flower, white, 2-4 on pedicel; bark scaly when young, becoming darker and furrowed when older; leaves alternate, ovate-lanceolate, toothed, hairy below especially on veins, glabrous above, net veined above and below, petiole hairy; winter buds mostly glabrous; mature fruit grayish-blue at maturity, fleshy and clings to seed, seed oval with ridges on one side and grooved on the other; spring [V Max Brown, 2010]
Wild Goose Plum Prunus munsoniana W. Wight & Hedrick Rosaceae (Rose) Family Wilson s Creek National Battlefield, Greene County, Missouri Notes: shrub to small tree; 5-petaled flower, white, 2-4 on pedicel; bark smooth, with horizontal lenticls, scaly later; leaves alternate, lanceolate, finely toothed, somewhat hairy below especially on veins, glabrous above and glossy, long pointed, mature leaves somewhat folded, minute glands on inside curve of each tooth; winter buds mostly glabrous; mature fruit yellow to red with white dots, somewhat glaucous usually, yellow flesh, seed oval, pointed tip, groved on sides; spring [V Max Brown, 2010]
Black Cherry Prunus serotina Ehrh. var. serotina Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: tree; 5-petaled flower, white, on raceme; leaves USDA elliptical to lanceolate, finely toothed (rounded and curved in); bark dark, smooth when young but breaks into scaly plates with age; slender, rank smell when broken; winter buds small, bright brown, with rounded tips; fruit red to purplish-black; spring [V Max Brown, 2005]
[Sesquehana] Sand Cherry Prunus susquehanae hort. ex Willd. [Prunus pumila L. var. cuneata (Raf.) Bailey] Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: small shrub; 5-petaled flower, white, from leaf axils on long petioles; leaves alternate, elliptical to somewhat ovate, mostly entire on lower half and finely toothed on distal half, usually glaucous below; bark wrinkled; twigs reddish-brown; winter buds small [V Max Brown, 2007]
Chokecherry Prunus virginiana L. var. virginiana Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub or small tree; 5-petaled flower, white, on raceme; leaves alternate, mostly ovate, thin, serrate, teeth ascending, short sharp tip; bark fissured; twigs with rank odor, partially covered with gray fuzz; winter bud scales brown with lighter margins; fruit red to dark red, small and shiny; spring [V Max Brown, 2006]
Antelope Bitterbrush Purshia tridentata (Pursh) DC. Lake Granby Area, Grand County, Colorado Notes: shrub (usually < 3-4 m); 5-petaled flower, white to light yellow; leaf wedge-shaped with 3 apical lobes, hairy above and densely white hairy below, edges often revolute; stems reddish, often flaky; plant hairy and glandular; lower elevations to foothills environments; summer [V Max Brown, 2012]
Callery [Bradford] Pear Pyrus calleryana Decne. (Introduced) Nixa, Christian County, Missouri Notes: tree; 5-petaled flower, white and showy, in USDA umbels from lateral branches; leaves simple, fairly small (up to 9 cm), rounded with fine teeth and undulating edge, glabrous, dark green above; twigs usually hairy; buds large and white tomentose; fruit small on long pedicel; spring (extensively planted) [V Max Brown, 2011]
Jetbead Rhodotypos scandens (Thunb.) Makino (Introduced) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub; 4-petaled showy flower, white; leaves opposite, ovate, serrate with ascending teeth, sometimes double-toothed; bark rough with lenticels; fruit a berry, black, usually 4 to 6 in a cluster at end of twig [V Max Brown, 2006]
Prickly Rose Rosa acicularis Lindl. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Notes: large 5-petaled solitary flower, pink to rose, sepals persistent, pedicel and hypanthium glabrous; leaves compound (5-7 mostly), ovate, double toothed, stipules glandular; branches mostly red to brown, abundant prickles of different sizes; erect plant; summer [V Max Brown, 2012]
Pasture [Carolina] Rose Rosa Carolina L. Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: flower white, pink to red, sepals flare terminally; leaflets dull to slightly shiny; upper twigs mostly smooth but with slender thorns and prickles; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2006]
Multiflora [Japanese] Rose Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murr. (Introduced) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-petaled flower, white, usually >4 flowers per cluster, sepals pinnate or deeply lobed; leaves usually 7-9 pinnate, stipules comb-like (pinnate); younger stems green, becoming reddish; fruit red; very branched shrub; abundant and invasive; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2005]
Swamp Rose Rosa palustris Marsh. Waterloo Recreation Area, Washtenaw County, Michigan Notes: flowers white, pink to red, sepals linear; leaves compound, leaflets dull to slightly shiny, teeth small, stipules narrow; branches mostly red and smooth, twigs hairy; prickles hooked and usually stout; swamps and wet ground; summer [V Max Brown, 2009]
Thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus Nutt. Upper Spearfish Canyon, Lawrence County, South Dakota Notes: shrub (to 1+ m); 5 petaled flower, mostly white (sometimes slightly pink), to 4-5 cm diameter, sepals with long extension, in clusters; leaves simple, alternate, usually 3 to mostly 5- lobed and toothed, green above and paler below; branches mostly red and smooth, woody twigs shreddy, green twigs hairy, no prickles; fruit a thimble-shaped aggregate; usually in moist shady areas; summer [V Max Brown, 2014]
Creeping Sibbaldia [Cloverleaf Rose] Sibbaldia procumbens L. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Notes: 5-petaled tiny flower, yellow, bractlets and sepals green, in a cluster (cyme); leaves basal, palmate (3 leaflets), leaflets wedge-shaped and notched (toothed) at apex; subalpine to alpine environments; summer [V Max Brown, 2012]
Three-Toothed Cinquefoil [Shrubby Fivefingers] Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (Aiton) Rydb. (Potentilla tridentata) Whitefish Point, Chippewa County, Michigan Notes: 5-petaled flower, white, sepals shorter than petals, branching clusters; leaves evergreen turning red in fall, palmate with 3 leaflets, mostly 3 toothed at tip; sandy soils; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2008]
False Spiraea Sorbaria sorbifolia (L.) A. Braun (Introduced) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub; 5-petaled flower, white, in spikes resembling USDA sumac; leaves alternate and pinnate, double toothed; spreads by suckers; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2005]
European Mountain Ash Sorbus aucuparia L. (Introduced) Skagway, Alaska Notes: shrub to small tree, to 15 m; 5-petaled flower, yellowish-green, large corymb with 250+ flowers; leaves alternate, pinnate, 4-9 pairs plus terminal leaflet, asymmetrical rounded base, serrated in upper 2/3 of leaflet, smooth, dark green above and paler below, with stipules; bark gray-black, breaks into scaly plates with age; winter buds hairy; fruit a red pome; spring [V Max Brown, 2016]
White Meadowsweet Spiraea alba Du Roi var. alba Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-petaled flower, flower cluster longer than wide, inflorescence somewhat to densely hairy; leaves ovate to lanceolate, mostly glabrous, coarsely toothed, 3-4x longer than wide; stem reddish-brown; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2005] USDA
Steeplebush [Hardhack] Spiraea tomentosa L. Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-petaled flower, pink to rose, in steeple -like spike; leaves alternate, elliptical, brownish pubescent (tomentose) beneath, stem woody and wooly; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2004] USDA