Rose family (Rosaceae)
The rose family includes about 3000 species of the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere — trees, shrubs and perennial herbs. Leaves have stipules, are simple or compound and alternate on the stem. Flowers are bisexual, regular, usually 5-parted: 5 sepals, 5 free petals, many stamens and one or many pistils; insects pollinate them. Because species and genera vary so much, the flower cannot be given one formula (typical: K5 C5 A∞ G1–∞). Fruits vary too: peach and apricot are one-stone drupes; apple and pear are pomes (the textbook says “many-stoned”); raspberry is an aggregate fruit of tiny drupelets; the “fruit” of strawberry is a fleshy receptacle, and the true fruits are the tiny achenes on it. The dog rose is a thorny shrub 2–3 m tall; its red “fruit” is a false fruit rich in vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and citric acid. Wild roses are the ancestors of garden roses; in Uzbekistan wild apple, pear and cherry are important for breeding new cultivars. The Central Asian pear and Olga’s sorbaria are in the Red Book (the list is updated from time to time).
Flower dissection: take an apple or apricot flower (with permission, cut by an adult), separate it with fine tweezers and a lens, count the 5 sepals, 5 petals, stamens and pistil and draw them. Safety: use tweezers and scissors carefully; wear a mask if allergic to pollen; do not damage garden plants; never eat fruit without washing it (pesticides).