---
title: "Basic Botany: The Rose Family"
description: "Basic Botany:  The Rose Family"
---

[Mountain Rose Herbs Blog ](https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com)

# [Basic Botany: The Rose Family](https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/basic-botany-rose-family)

 Written by [The Mountain Rose Herbs Team](https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/author/friends) | May 12, 2014

 

This month I'll cover the botanical basics of five common plant families that you’ll encounter while taking a stroll through just about any park, trail, or garden. These will give you a good place to start, but there are many other families to explore if you fall in love with the art and science of identification.

This week we take a closer look at the roses!

 

<https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/RoseFam_blog-1.jpg?hsLang=en-us> Click to enlarge

## *Rosaceae* – The Rose Family

## (ro-SAY-see-ee)

 

##### Identification Tips

**Perianth** - The *perianth* consists of the calyx (sepals) and corolla (petals) together. Generally, these flowers have five sepals and five petals.

**Stipules** - *Stipules* are outgrowths at the base of a *petiole (*leaf stem). Look for stipules where the leaf stem meets the main stem.

**Hypanthium* - ***More than 10 stamens arranged around a floral cup or *hypanthium*. The sepals, petals, and stamens attach around the edge of a cuplike receptacle containing the ovary.

 

##### Food and Medicine

The Rosaceae family includes many beloved medicinal and edible plants including [roses](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/index/r), [strawberries](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/index/s), [raspberries](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/index/r), [blackberries](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/index/b), [hawthorn](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/index/h), apples, cherries, peaches, plums, serviceberries, pears, [meadowsweet](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/index/m), [Lady's Mantle](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/herbs/index/l#product-891), and many more.

Medicinally, the roses have been used as heart-openers and tonics (hawthorn and rose), internal and external astringents (blackberry leaf and roots, strawberry leaf, rose), and as nutrient rich women's tonics (raspberry leaf and fruit).

Used in aromatherapy, [rose essential oil](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/aromatherapy/index/q-z#product-1321) is considered a calming mood elevator and aphrodisiac.

In skincare applications, [rose essential oil](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/aromatherapy/index/q-z#product-1321) is a classic ingredient for skin rejuvenation. The skin soothing and gentle astringent properties of [rose hydrosol ](https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/flower-water)makes it a wonderful facial toner.

 

We have a wonderfully rosy recipe coming up on the blog tomorrow!

For more basic botany see: [The Four Whorls of the Flower](http://mountainroseblog.com/basic-botany-whorls-flower/)

<https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/rosessmall-1.jpg?hsLang=en-us>

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