A '''rose''' or '''rhodonea curve''' is a sinusoid plotted in polar coordinates. Up to similarity, these curves can all be expressed by a polar equation of the form
:<math> \!\,r=\cos(k\theta).</math>
If k is an integer, the curve will be rose shaped with
* 2k petals if k is even, and
* k petals if k is odd.
When k is even, the entire graph of the rose will be traced out exactly once when the value of θ changes from 0 to 2π. When k is odd, this will happen on the interval between 0 and π. (More generally, this will happen on any interval of length <math>2\pi</math> for <math>k</math> even, and <math>\pi</math> for <math>k</math> odd.)
The '''quadrifolium''' is a type of rose curve with n=2. It has polar equation: