About Rosaceae
Rosaceae, the rose family, includes a range of plant growth forms: woody trees, shrubs, climbers, and herbaceous plants. Most herbaceous members of the family are perennials, though some annual species exist, for example Aphanes arvensis. Members of Rosaceae have a cosmopolitan distribution, found across nearly the entire world, with the exception of Antarctica. The family is primarily concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere, in regions that are neither desert nor tropical rainforest. The rose family is counted among the six most economically important crop plant families. It includes many common edible and cultivated species: apples, pears, quinces, medlars, loquats, almonds, peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, sloes, and roses. Many genera within Rosaceae are also highly valued as ornamental plants. These ornamental groups include trees and shrubs such as Cotoneaster, Chaenomeles, Crataegus, Dasiphora, Exochorda, Kerria, Photinia, Physocarpus, Prunus, Pyracantha, Rhodotypos, Rosa, Sorbus, and Spiraea; herbaceous perennials including Alchemilla, Aruncus, Filipendula, Geum, Potentilla, and Sanguisorba; alpine plants such as Dryas, Geum, and Potentilla; and climbers including Rosa. Despite their economic and horticultural value, several genera of Rosaceae have become introduced noxious weeds in some regions of the world, requiring spending on control measures. Once these invasive plants become established, they can cause negative impacts on the diversity of local ecosystems. Genera that have become naturalized invasive pests include Acaena, Cotoneaster, Crataegus, and Pyracantha. In Bulgaria and parts of western Asia, production of rose oil from fresh flowers of species including Rosa damascena and Rosa gallica forms an important economic industry.
