There is significant disagreement over the number of true rose species. Some species are so similar that they could easily be considered variations of a single species, while other species show enough variation that they could easily be considered to be different species. Lists of rose species usually show more than 320. The numbers 320 to 350 are the figures accepted by most botanists, but as Bailey has pointed out, the extreme lumpers Bentham and Hooker only allowed for 30 species, while the extreme splitter Michel Gandoger allowed 4,266 species just in Europe and West Asia.
Subgenera and sections
There are currently four subgenera in Rosa, although there has been some disputes over the years. The four subgenera are: 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 species without compound leaves or stipules. Hesperrhodos (from the Greek for "western rose") with two species, both from southwestern North America, R. minutifolia and R. stellata. Platyrhodon (from the Greek for "flaky rose", referring to its flaky bark) with one species from East Asia, R. roxburghii. Rosa (the type subgenus) containing all the other species. This subgenus is subdivided into 11 sections. Banksianae – white and yellow species from China Bracteatae – three species, two from China and one from India Caninae – pink and white species from Europe, Asia and North Africa Carolinae – white, pink and bright pink species, all from North America Chinensis – white, pink, yellow, red and mixed-color species from China and Burma Gallicanae – pink to crimson and striped species from Europe and West Asia Gymnocarpae – a small group distinguished by a deciduous receptacle on the hip; one species in western North America (R. gymnocarpa), the rest in East Asia Laevigatae – a single white species from China Pimpinellifoliae – white, pink, bright yellow, mauve and striped species from Europe and Asia Rosa (syn. sect. Cinnamomeae) – white, pink, lilac, mulberry and red species from all areas except North Africa Synstylae – white, pink, and crimson species from all areas