FLOWER OF THE MONTH - ROSE

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 Rosa berberifolia which are the only roses without compound leaves or stipules.
• Hesperrhodos (from the Greek for "western rose") contains Rosa minutifolia and Rosa stellata, from North America.
• Platyrhodon (from the Greek for "flaky rose", referring to flaky bark) with one species from east Asia, Rosa roxburghii.
• Rosa (the type subgenus) containing all the other roses. This subgenus is subdivided into 11 sections.
  • Banksianae - white and yellow flowered roses from China.
  • Bracteatae - three species, two from China and one from India.
  • Caninae - pink and white flowered species from Asia, Europe and North Africa.
  • Carolinae - white, pink, and bright pink flowered species all from North America.
  • Chinensis - white, pink, yellow, red and mixed-color roses from China and Burma.
  • Gallicanae - pink to crimson and striped flowered roses from western Asia and Europe.
  • Gymnocarpae - one species in western North America (Rosa gymnocarpa), others in east Asia.
  • Laevigatae - a single white flowered 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 flowered roses from all areas.

From Wikipedia