In the older classification system ofDahlgren the Rosales were in thesuperorder Rosiflorae (also called Rosanae). In the obsoleteCronquist system, the order Rosales was many timespolyphyletic. It consisted of the family Rosaceae and 23 other families that are now placed in various other orders.[8] These families and their placement in theAPG III system are:[3]
The order Rosales is divided into threeclades that have never been assigned ataxonomic rank. Thebasal clade consists of the family Rosaceae; another clade consists of four families, includingRhamnaceae; and the third clade consists of the foururticalean families.[10]
Different plants that fall under the order Rosales grow in many different parts of the world. They can be found inthe mountains,the tropics andthe arctic. Even though you can find a member of the order Rosales nearly anywhere, the specific families grow in different specificgeographical locations.[12]Wind-pollination is the way that the majority of the families that fall under the order Rosales (includingMoraceae,Ulmaceae, andUrticaceae etc.) pollinate.[13]
Within the order Rosales is the familyRosaceae, which includes numerous species that are cultivated for their fruit, making this one of the most economically important families of plants. Fruit produced by members of this family include apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, almonds, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Many ornamental species of plant are also in the family Rosaceae, including the rose after which the family and order were named. Therose, considered a symbol of love in many cultures, is featured prominently in poetry andliterature.[12] Modern garden varieties of roses such as hybrid teas, floribunda, and grandifora, originated from complex hybrids of several separate wild species native to different regions of Eurasia.
The wood from the black cherry (Prunus serotina) and sweet cherry (P. avium) is used to make high quality furniture due to its color and ability to be bent.[12] TheCannabis plant has been highly prized for millennia for itshemp, which has numerous uses. Other varieties ofCannabis aregrown as a drug.
Plants in the order Rosales were used in the traditionalmedicines of many cultures.Medical cannabis has been recognized for its pharmaceutical use. The latex of some species of fig trees contains the enzymeficin, which is effective in killing roundworms that infect the intestinal tracts of animals.[12]
