Perennial, usually deciduous shrubs, sometimes scrambling or lianoid; stems armed with epidermal prickles, acicles, bristles, or simple or glandular hairs (sometimes intergrading), rarely not armed. Lvs distributed along stems, usually imparipinnate, sometimes basal pair reduced to 1 leaflet, very rarely simple or reduced to connate leaflike stipules; leaflets serrate or crenate; stipules usually adnate to petiole with distal free auricles, sometimes free to base and deciduous, variously lobed or with marginal stalked glands. Fls usually borne on lateral shoots 1 or more years old, in corymbs, panicles or solitary, usually bracteate, usually > 3 cm diam., large and showy, ☿ except in some semi- or fully double cvs, pedicellate, (4)-5-merous. Epicalyx 0. Hypanthium extremely variable, narrowly ovoid, narrowly urceolate, to globose, ± closed at apex by a disc; sepals all similar or outer 3 toothed or pinnately lobed and inner 2 entire. Petals 5, numerous in double-flowered cvs, those of single fls ± spreading, white, yellow, pink, red, purple, greenish or multicoloured, but not blue. Stamens numerous, fertile or petaloid. Ovary superior although carpels deeply sunken in the concave receptacle; carpels free, numerous; styles numerous, free or sometimes forming a short column protruding through the centre of the hypanthial disc; ovules 1 per carpel. Fr. an urceolate to globular or ovoid hip with many bony achenes included within the ± fleshy, coloured, sometimes prickly or bristly hypanthium.