Distribution: Worldwide, but mostly in the northern hemisphere. We have 25 genera with 108 species in Texas, including many common, conspicuous, and early-blooming inhabitants of the local flora.
Floral structure:
Significant features:
Leaves of varying type but often alternate with stipules.
Flowers with a distinctive suite of features in the androperianth
that is carried by most genera: pentamerous perianth, numerous
stamens, and a hypanthium.
Variation
at the subfamily level is based on the gynoecium, as indicated above.
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Physocarpus opulifolius (Spiraeoideae) - perigynous flowers at anthesis (left) and in fruit (right - follicle) |  |
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Rubus trivalis (local dewberry)(Rosoideae) - flower at anthesis (left) and in aggregate fruit (right) and domesticated red raspberry with calyx, receptacle, and aggregated druplets (far right) |  |
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Geum canadense (Rosoideae) - flower at anthesis (left) and in aggregate fruit (right). True fruit is an achene with a hook |  |
Prunus
(Prunoideae)
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front view of flower at anthesis (1), side view with hypanthium removed
(2 - from UH
Botany), P. mexicana (local species currently in
bloom) gynoecium at anthesis (3) and with ovary fully mature (4 =
'Mexican Plum') to produce a drupe
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Pyrus
(Maloideae)
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front view of flower at anthesis (1), side view (2) (note
pedicel,
position of the ovary, and calyx).
Mature pome of Crataegus (3 - local hawthorne - note
pedicel,
ovary, and calyx), and cross section of Malus (4 -
apple)
pome with a five loculate ovary separated from the hypanthium
by a dim green line near the outside edge of the locules - see pome
overview
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