There is significant disagreement over the number of true
rose species. Some species are so similar that they could easily be considered variations of a single species, while other species show enough variation that they could easily be considered to be different species. Lists of rose species usually show more than 320.[1] The numbers 320 to 350 are the figures accepted by most botanists, but as
Bailey has pointed out, the extreme lumpersBentham and Hooker only allowed for 30 species, while the extreme splitterMichel Gandoger allowed 4,266 species just in Europe and West Asia.[2]
There are currently four subgenera in Rosa, although there has been some disputes over the years.[3]
The four subgenera are:
Hulthemia (formerly Simplicifoliae, meaning "with single leaves") containing one or two species from Southwest
Asia, R. persica and R. berberifolia (syn. R. persica var. berberifolia) which are the only species without
compound leaves or
stipules.
Hesperrhodos (from the
Greek for "western rose") with two species, both from southwestern
North America, R. minutifolia and R. stellata.
Platyrhodon (from the
Greek for "flaky rose", referring to its flaky bark) with one species from East Asia, R. roxburghii.
Rosa (the
type subgenus) containing all the other species. This subgenus is subdivided into 11 sections.
Carolinae – white, pink and bright pink species, all from
North America
Chinensis – white, pink, yellow, red and mixed-color species from China and
Burma
Gallicanae – pink to crimson and striped species from Europe and West Asia
Gymnocarpae – a small group distinguished by a deciduous receptacle on the hip; one species in western North America (R. gymnocarpa), the rest in East Asia
Laevigatae – a single white species from China
Pimpinellifoliae – white, pink, bright yellow, mauve and striped species from Europe and Asia
Rosa (syn. sect. Cinnamomeae) – white, pink, lilac, mulberry and red species from all areas except North Africa
Synstylae – white, pink, and crimson species from all areas
^
ab"Rosa L."Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
^Bailey, Liberty Hyde (1935). Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. Vol. 3. New York: MacMillan Co. p. 2981.
^[1], The genus Rosa (Rosoideae, Rosaceae) revisited: molecular analysis of nrITS-1 and atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer (IGS) versus conventional taxonomy, 2005
There is significant disagreement over the number of true
rose species. Some species are so similar that they could easily be considered variations of a single species, while other species show enough variation that they could easily be considered to be different species. Lists of rose species usually show more than 320.[1] The numbers 320 to 350 are the figures accepted by most botanists, but as
Bailey has pointed out, the extreme lumpersBentham and Hooker only allowed for 30 species, while the extreme splitterMichel Gandoger allowed 4,266 species just in Europe and West Asia.[2]
There are currently four subgenera in Rosa, although there has been some disputes over the years.[3]
The four subgenera are:
Hulthemia (formerly Simplicifoliae, meaning "with single leaves") containing one or two species from Southwest
Asia, R. persica and R. berberifolia (syn. R. persica var. berberifolia) which are the only species without
compound leaves or
stipules.
Hesperrhodos (from the
Greek for "western rose") with two species, both from southwestern
North America, R. minutifolia and R. stellata.
Platyrhodon (from the
Greek for "flaky rose", referring to its flaky bark) with one species from East Asia, R. roxburghii.
Rosa (the
type subgenus) containing all the other species. This subgenus is subdivided into 11 sections.
Carolinae – white, pink and bright pink species, all from
North America
Chinensis – white, pink, yellow, red and mixed-color species from China and
Burma
Gallicanae – pink to crimson and striped species from Europe and West Asia
Gymnocarpae – a small group distinguished by a deciduous receptacle on the hip; one species in western North America (R. gymnocarpa), the rest in East Asia
Laevigatae – a single white species from China
Pimpinellifoliae – white, pink, bright yellow, mauve and striped species from Europe and Asia
Rosa (syn. sect. Cinnamomeae) – white, pink, lilac, mulberry and red species from all areas except North Africa
Synstylae – white, pink, and crimson species from all areas
^
ab"Rosa L."Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
^Bailey, Liberty Hyde (1935). Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. Vol. 3. New York: MacMillan Co. p. 2981.
^[1], The genus Rosa (Rosoideae, Rosaceae) revisited: molecular analysis of nrITS-1 and atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer (IGS) versus conventional taxonomy, 2005