Rosaceae: Characters, Economic Importance, Distribution and Types

Diagnostic characters of Rosaceae:

1. Habit: Perennial: herbs, shrubs. and tree.

2. Roots: Fibrous tap roots and fibrous adventitious roots.

3. Stem: Herbaceous or woody: the stem is covered with prickles.

4. Leaves: Petiolate: alternate: simple or compound (pinnate type): Stipulate (adnate), recticulate.

5. Inflorescence: Racemose or mostly cymose, some are solitary - single flower.

6. Flower: Pedicillate; bracteate: actinomorphic; regular; complete; hermaphrodite (male and female sexes are on the same organism).

7. Calyx: 5 or 4 sepals; free, Sometimes, epicalyx of bracteole is present.

8. Corolla: 5 or multiple of 5 petals; free; imbricate.

9. Stamens: numerous stamens; free, sometimes united by their filaments; versatile.

10. Carpel: 1 to numerous carpels; apocarpous or syncarpous; placentation basal or axile.

11. Fruits: Drupe, pome or an etaerio of drupes or achenes of follicles.

12. Seed: non-endospermic seed.

Floral formula of Rosaceae:

Floral diagram of Rosaceae: 

Economic Importance of Rosaceae: 

This family has a great economic significance/importance for mankind globally. It has great importance in temperate (cold) zones / region. This family is ranked third in the Angiosperms flowering families for commercial importance in the temperate zone. 

1. Fruit: Many fruits are obtained from the plants of this family. Some important fruits are Apple, Pear, Almond, Peach, Apricot, and Strawberry etc.

2. Ornamental Plants: A huge number of members-of this family are ornamental. They  are cultivated / grown in gardens, houses and parks for their beautiful and scented flowers. The genus Rosa belongs to family Rosaceae is widely cultivated for decorative purpose. It has been growing since ancient times. Its cultivated names are in thousands. Many other genera are also grown in gardens and parks for beautiful flowers.

3. Wood: The branches of Crataegus (is a member of family Rosaceae) are used as walking sticks and wood. The wood of pyrus pastia is used for making tobacco pipes. 

4. Commercial and medicinal uses of Petals:

The petals of some common roses are called gulabs in many Asian Planet countries i.e. india or pakistan. The gulabs have the following uses: 

a) These petals are used for making gulkand.

b) Petals of rose are used for the extraction of rose oil. This oil is used in perfumes because of their pleasant smell.

c) The petals give Ark-Gulab on distillation with water. This ark ghulab is used for curing eye disease and for many other purposes.

The pattern of distribution of Rosaceae:

This family has about 100 genera and 2000 species. It is distributed all over the world About 29 genera and 213 species of this family are present in Asian planet.

Common species of Rosaceae:

(a) Rosa indica (rose)

(b) Pyrus malus (apple)

(c) Prunus persica (peach

(d) Fragaria vesca (Strawberry)