List of Rosa Species - Subgenera and Sections

Subgenera and Sections

The genus Rosa is subdivided into four subgenera:

• 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 roses without compound leaves or stipules.
• Hesperrhodos (from the Greek for "western rose") has two species, both from southwestern North America. These are R. minutifolia and R. stellata.
• Platyrhodon (from the Greek for "flaky rose", referring to flaky bark) with one species from east Asia, R. roxburghii.
• Rosa (the type subgenus) containing all the other roses. This subgenus is subdivided into 11 sections.
  • Banksianae - white and yellow roses from China
  • Bracteatae - three species, two from China and one from India
  • Caninae - pink and white species from Asia, Europe and North Africa
  • Carolinae - white, pink, and bright pink species all from North America
  • Chinensis - white, pink, yellow, red and mixed-color roses from China and Burma
  • Gallicanae - pink to crimson and striped roses from western Asia and Europe
  • Gymnocarpae - a small group distinguished by a deciduous receptacle on the hip; one species in western North America (R. gymnocarpa), the others in east Asia
  • Laevigatae - a single white species from China
  • Pimpinellifoliae - white, pink, bright yellow, mauve and striped roses from Asia and Europe
  • Rosa (syn. sect. Cinnamomeae) - white, pink, lilac, mulberry and red roses from everywhere but North Africa
  • Synstylae - white, pink, and crimson roses from all areas