This lifeform is only found domesticated.

Domestic Rose has been bred for centuries in Europe and England. Chamber's Encyclopaedia, published in 1888, states that in the late 1700's one author recognized five species in the Rose genus as being native to England. Chambers also references another source, Hooker and Arnott's British Flora, published at the beginning of the 18th century, as recognizing nineteen different species. There is no doubt that the early European empires from as early as the Roman Caesars were responsible for the transportation and replanting of different rose species. It would be impossible today to try and deduce the specific origin of many of the varieties that are sold in the trade today.  However, the following information taken from Chambers' Encyclopaedia might be of interest to the taxonomist and gardener:

Hundred Leaved Rose (Rosa centifolia), a native of Caucasus, has been cultivated since ancient times and is perhaps the most beautiful of all the Roses.

French Rose (Rosa gallica) is a native of Southern Europe and can be distinguished by its hard leaves which have a peculiar  dryness.

Damask Rose (Rosa damascens) is a native of Syria and is frequently cultivated.

Musk Rose (Rosa moschata) was originally from Northern Africa,  but has been cultivated in England since the end of the 16th  century.

Dog Rose (Rosa canina) is common in England, Europe, and Asia  In its wild state red, pink, and white flowers are known. The bark of the root was believed to help cure rabies.  The root stock of this species is frequently used for grafting.

Villous Rose (Rosa vilosa) is another common European species.

Field Rose (Rosa arvensis) is common in many parts of Europe and England.

Many Flowered Rose (Rosa multiflora) is a native of China and  Japan, and it is found growing wild in all parts of Europe and  America. In the United States, it is considered a pest and it is illegal to propagate it.

Scotch Rose (Rosa spinosissina) is a low compact bush found in the heaths and downs of England. Many varieties of this species are now in cultivation.

Alpine Rose (Rosa alpina) is a species of the mountains of Central Europe. It is noteworthy because its flower stalks bend down after flowering.

Sweet Briar (Rosa rubiginosa) is a bushy species with small leaves and flowers found in Europe and England. It is frequently planted because of the sweet smell of its leaves.

Yellow Rose (Rosa lutea) is a native of Germany. The yellow  flowers are unusual, but do not smell very nice.

Indian or China Rose (Rosa indica) was originally from China, but was introduced in India. It is now common in Europe. Sometimes this hardy species is called the monthly rose, as it flowers almost continuously throughout the year.

Rose Family (Rosaceae) of the Rose Order contains the Rose genus and is a very large diverse family containing not only the roses, but many small weeds and also the important fruit trees including the apple, cherry, pear, and plum. Along with the Grass and Legume Families, this family is one of the most important of all plant groups. There are over 3,000 species in this family organized into over 100 different genera. There are over 840 species growing in greater North America. Typical flowers in this family have five petals and five sepals.

Here the family is divided as follows:

A) Miscellaneous small wild plants such as roses, strawberries, et cetera
B) Rose hybrids of interest to the flower gardener
C) Spiraea group (which forms a natural subfamily)
D) Fruit trees and hawthorns, et cetera

Rose Group (Order Rosales) contains many large and very important families. Included here are fruit trees in the family Rosaceae, the nitrogen fixing plants like clover and alfalfa (in the family  Leguminosae), and a large assemblage of plants divided into over fifteen different families.

Dicots (Dicotyledoneae Class) are the predominant group of vascular plants on earth. With the exception of the grasses (Monocots) and the Conifers (Gymnosperms), most of the larger plants that one encounters are  Dicots. Dicots are characterized by having a seed with two outer shell coverings. Some of the more primitive Dicots are the typical hardwood trees (oaks, birches, hickories, etc). The more advanced Dicots include many of the Composite Family flowers like the  Dandelion, Aster, Thistles, and Sunflowers. Although many Monocots reach a very high degree of specialization, most botanists feel that the Dicots represent the most advanced group of plants.

Seed plants (Phylum Embryophyta) are generally grouped into one large phylum containing three major classes: the Gymnosperms, the Monocots, and the Dicots. (Some scientists separate the Gymnosperms into a separate phylum and refer to the remaining plants as flowering plants or Angiospermae.)

For North American counts of the number of species in each genus and family, the primary reference has been John T. Kartesz, author of A Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland (1994). The geographical scope of his lists include, as part of greater North America, Hawaii, Alaska, Greenland, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Kartesz lists 21,757 species of vascular plants comprising the ferns, gymnosperms and flowering plants as being found in greater North America (including Alaska, Hawaii, Greenland, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands).

There are estimates within the scientific world that about half of the listed North American seed plants were originally native with the balance being comprised of Eurasian and tropical plants that have become established.

Plant kingdom contains a large variety of different organisms including mosses, ferns, and seed plants. Most plants manufacture their energy from sunlight and water. Identification of many species is difficult in that most individual plants have characteristics that have variables based on soil moisture, soil chemistry, and sunlight.

Because of the difficulty in learning and identifying different plant groups, specialists have emerged that study only a limited group of plants. These specialists revise the taxonomy and give us detailed descriptions and ranges of the various species.  Their results are published in technical journals and written with highly specialized words that apply to a specific group.

On the other hand, there are the nature publishers. These people and companies undertake the challenging task of trying to provide easy to use pictures and descriptions to identify those species.