Rubiaceae

Read about Rubiaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Rubiaceae (from the genus Rubia, signifying red, from the color of the roots of some species). Madder Family. Fig. 55. Trees, shrubs or herbs: leaves opposite or whorled, simple, usually entire: flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, regular, rarely slightly irregular; calyx 2-6-cleft, or 0; corolla gamopetalous, 4-6-lobed, mostly valvate; stamens4-6, epipetalous; ovary inferior, 1 to many-, commonly 2-, celled; ovules 1 to many in each cell; style 1; stigma 1, capitate or several-branched: fruit a capsule, berry, or drupe. Rubiaceae is a family of 343 genera and about 4,500 species, mainly tropical; about 34 species reach the northeastern United States. The family is closely related to the Caprifoliaceae, but usually has stipules or whorled leaves; it is also related to the Cornaceae, Valerianceae, Compositae, and the like. A number of tropical Rubiaceae are myrmecophilous, i.e., provide a dwelling-place for protective ants. The whorled leaves of some species have probably been developed from stipules. This is an important economic family. Coffea arabica (Abyssinia coffee) is generally cultivated in the tropics and used elsewhere as a beverage. Cinchona Ledgeriana and C. succirubra of the Andes furnish quinine. Uragoga (Caphaelis) Ipecacuanha of Brazil is the source of the emetic ipecac. Cephalanthus of North America, and several species of Galium have been used in medicine. Rubia tinctoria (Mediterranean) furnishes the red dye, madder. Roots of Asperula and some species of Galium yield red dyes. Morinda citrifolia (tropics) yields a yellow dye, morindin. Ourouparia Gambir (Malay) yields the dye known as catecu, gambir, or terra japonica. The foliage of Asperula odorata has the fragrance of sweet grass, and is used for a similar purpose, and for flavoring wines. Galium triflorum has a similar odor. Galium verum, the yellow bedstraw (Europe) contains a milk-curdling ferment, hence the name, “galium;” also formerly given to women to increase lactation. Berries of Mitchella contain a saponin-like substance. The fruits of Vangueria edulis and several other species of Rubiaceae are edible. The wood of many species is valuable. Forty to 50 genera and a great many species are in cultivation in N. America, mostly in the greenhouse and in tropical horticulture. Among these are Indian Mulberry (Morinda); Cape Jasmine (Gardenia); Bluets (Houstonia); Manettia Vine (Manettia); Madder (Rubia); Buttonbush (Cephalanthus, hardy); Bedstraw or Cleavers (Galium); Coffee (Coffea); Cinchona (Cinchona); and Partridge Berry (Mitchella). CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

? Rubiaceae
Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum)
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Gentianales Family: Rubiaceae Juss.
Genera
See text For a full list, see: List of Rubiaceae genera

Egyptian Starcluster Pentas lanceolata

File:Luculia gratissima.png

White Luculia gratissima

Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the madder, bedstraw, or coffee family. Other common plants included here are gardenia, cinchona, sweet woodruff, partridgeberry, gambier, ixora, and noni. A number of traditionally accepted families (Dialypetalanthaceae, Henriqueziaceae, Naucleaceae, and Theligonaceae) are now incorporated within the Rubiaceae following genetic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. As now circumscribed, there are about 600 genera and more than 10,000 species in the Rubiaceae.

Subfamilies

The genera are distributed into tribes, and these placed in one of three recognized subfamilies:

Rubioideae Anthospermeae Argostemmateae Coussareeae Craterispermeae Danaideae Gaertnereae Lasiantheae Morindeae Ophiorrhizeae Paederieae Perameae Psychotrieae Rubieae Sabiceeae Schradereae Spermacoceae Theligoneae Urophylleae Virectarieae

Cinchonoideae Calycophylleae Catesbaeeae Naucleeae Chiococceae Cinchoneae Condamineeae Coptosapelteae Guettardeae Hamelieae Hillieae Isertieae Mussaendeae Rondeletieae Simireae Exostema group

Ixoroideae Alberteae Coffeeae Cremasporeae Gardenieae Hippotideae Ixoreae Octotropideae Pavetteae Retiniphylleae Sipaneeae Vanguerieae

Genera

The following genera are listed by Watson and Dallwitz (Delta):

Rubiaceae sensu stricto: Acranthera Acrobotrys Acunaeanthus Adinauclea Agathisanthemum Aidia Aidiopsis Airosperma Aitchisonia Alberta Aleisanthia Alibertia Allaeophania Alleizettella Allenanthus Alseis Amaiouma Amaracarpus Amphiasma Amphidasya Ancylanthos Anomanthodia Antherostele Anthorrhiza Anthospermum Antirhea Aoranthe Aphaenandra Aphanocarpus Appunettia Appunia Arctophyllum Argocoffeopsis Argostemma Asemnantha Asperula Astiella Atractocarpus Atractogyne Augusta Aulacocalyx Badusa Balmea Bataprine Bathysa Batopedina Belonophora Benkara Benzonia Berghesia Bertiera Bikkia Blandibractea Blepharidium Bobea Boholia Borojoa Bothriospora Botryarrhena Bouvardia Brachytome Bradea Brenania Breonadia Burchellia Burttdavya Byrsophyllum Caelospermum Calanda Callipeltis Calochone Calycophyllum Calycosia Calycosiphonia Canephora Canthium Capirona Captaincookia Carpacoce Carphalea Carterella Casasia Catesbaea Catunaregam Cephaelis Cephalodendron = Remijia Ceratopyxis Ceriscoides Ceuthocarpus Chaetostachydium Chalepophyllum Chamaepentas Chapelieria Chassalia Chazaliella Chimarrhis Chiococca Chione Chlorochorion Chomelia Choulettia Chytropsia Cigarilla Cinchona Cladoceras Clarkella Coccochondra Coccocypselum Coddia Coelopyrena Coffea Coleactina Colletoecima Commitheca Condaminea Conostomium Coprosma Coptophyllum Coptosapelta Corynanthe Coryphothamnus Cosmibuena Cosmocalyx Coursiana Coussarea Coutaportla Coutarea Cowiea Craterispermum Cremaspora Cremocarpon Crobylanthe Crocyllis Crossopteryx Crucianella Cruciata Cruckshanksia Crusea Cuatrecasasiodendron Cubanola Cuviera Cyclophyllum Damnacanthus Danais Deccania Declieuxia Dendrosipanea Dentella Deppea Diacrodon Dialypetalum Dialypetalanthus Dibrachyonostylus Dichilanthe Dictyandra Didymaea

Didymochlamys Didymopogon Didymosalpynx Diodella Diodia Dioecrescis Dioicodendron Diplospora Discospermum Diyaminauclea Dolichodelphys Dolicholobium Dolichometra Dolicera Duidania Dunnia Duperrea Duroia Durringtonia Ecpoma Eizia Elaeagia Eleutheranthus Emmenopterys Emmeorhiza Eosanthe Eriosemopsis Erithalis Ernodea Etericius Euclinia Exallage Exostema Fadogia Fadogiella Fagerlindia Faramea Ferdinandusa Feretia Fergusonia Fernelia Flagenium Flexanthera Gaertnera Gaillonia Galiniera Galium Gallienia Galopina Gamotopea Gardenia Gardeniopsis Genipa Gentingia Geophila Gillespiea Gleasonia Glionnetia Glossostipula Gomphocalyx Gonzalagunia Gouldia Greenea Greeniopsis Guettarda Gynochtodes Gyrostipula Habroneuron Haldina Hallea Hamelia Hyataella Hedstromia Hedyotis Hedythyrsus Heinsenia Heinsia Hekistocarpa Heterophyllaea Hillia Himalrandia Hindsia Hintonia Hippotis Hitoa Hodgkinsonia Hoffmannia Holstianthus Homollea Homolliella Houstonia Hutchinsonia Hydnophytum Hydrophylax Hymenocnemis Hymenocoleus Hymenodictyon Hyperacanthus Hypobathrum Hyptianthera Ibetralia Indopolysolenia Isertia Isidorea Ixora Jackiopsis Janotia Jaubertia Joosia Jovetia Kailarsenia Kajewskiella Keenania Keetlia Kelloggia Kerianthera Khasiaclunea Klossia Knoxia Kochummenia Kohautia Kraussia Kutchubaea Ladenbergia Lagynias Lamprothamnus Lasianthus Lathraeocarpa Lecananthus Lecanosperma Lecariocalyx Lelya Lemyrea Lepidostoma Leptactina Leptodermis Leptomischus Leptoscela Leptostigma Lerchea Leucocodon Leucolophus Limnosipanea Lindenia Litosanthes Lucinaea Luculia Lucya Ludekia Macbrideina Machaonia Macrocnemum Macrosphyra Maguireocharis Maguireothamnus Malanea Manettia Manostachya

Mantalania Margaritopsis Maschalocorymbus Maschalodesme Massularia Mastixiodendron Mazaea Melanopsidium Mericarpaea Merumea Metadina Meyna Micrasepalum Microphysa Mitchella Mitracarpus Mitrasacmopsis Mitriostigma Molopanthera Monosalpinx Montamans Morelia Morierina Morinda Morindopsis Motleyia Mouretia Multidentia Mussaenda Mussaendopsis Mycetia Myonima Myrmecodia Mymeconauclea Myrmephytum Naletonia Nargedia Neanotis Neblinathamnus Nematostylis Nenax Neobertiera Neoblakea Neobreonia Neofranciella Neohymenopogon Neolamarckia Neolaugeria Neopentanisia Nernstia Nertera Nesohedyotis Neurocalyx Nichallea Nodocarpaea Nonatelia Normandia Nostolachma Ochreinauclea Octotropis Oldenlandia Oldenlandiopsis Oligocodon Omiltemia Opercularia Ophiorrhiza Ophriococcus Oregandra Oreopolus Osa Otiophora Otocalyx Otomeria Ottoschmidtia Oxyanthus Pachystigma Pachystylus Paederia Pagamea Pagameopsis Palicourea Pamplethantha Paracephaelis Parachimarrhis Paracorynanthe Paragenipa Paraknoxia Parapentas Paratriaina Pauridiantha Pausinystalia Pavetta Payera Pelagodendron Pentagonia Pentaloncha Pentanisia Pentanopsis Pentas Pentodon Peponidium Perakanthus Perama Peratanthe Peripeplus Pertusadina Petagomoa Petitiocodon Phellocalyx Phialanthus Phitopis Phuopsis Phyllacanthus Phyllis Phyllocrater Phyllomelia Phyllohydrax Picardaea Pimentelia Pinariphyllon Pinckneya Pittoniotis Placocarpa Placopoda Plectronia Plectoniella Pleiocarpidia Pleiocoryne Pleiocraterium Plocama Poecilocalyx Pogonolobus Pogonopus Polysphaeria Polyura Pomax Porterandia Portlandia Posoqueria Pouchetia Praravinia Pravinaria Preussiodora Prismatomeris Proscephaleium Psathura Pseudaidia Pseudogaillonia Pseudogardenia Pseudohamelia Pseudomantalania Pseudomussaenda Pseudonesohedyotis Pseudopyxis Pseudosabicea Psilanthus Psychotria Psydrax

Psyllocarpus Pteridocalyx Pterogaillonia Pubistylus Putoria Pygmaeothamnus Pyragra Pyrostria Rachicallis Ramosmania Randia Raritebe Readea Rennellia Retiniphyllum Rhadinopus Raphidura Rhipidantha Rhopalobrachium Rhyssocarpus Richardia Riqueuria Robynsia Roigella Ronabea Rondeletia Rothmannia Rubia Rudgea Rustia Rutidea Rytigynia Sabicea Sacosperma Saldinia Salzmannia Saprosma Sarcopygme Schachtia Schismatoclada Schizenterospermum Schizocalyx Schizocolea Schizomussaenda Schizostigma Schmidtottia Schradera Schumanniophyton Schwendenera Scolosanthus Scyphiphora Scyphochlamys Scyphostachys Sericanthe Serissa Shaferocharis Sherardia Sherbournia Siderobombyx Siemensia Simira Sinoadina Sipanea Sipaneopsis Siphonandrium Sommera Spathichlamys Spermacoce Spermadictyon Sphinctanthus Spiradiclis Squamellaria Stachyarrhena Stachyococcus Staelia Standleya Steenisia Stelechantha Stephanococcus Stevensia Steyermarkia Stichianthus Stilpnophyllum Stipularia Stomandra Streblosa Streblosiopsis Strempelia Striolaria Strumpfia Stylosiphonia Suberanthus Sukunia Sulitia Synaptantha Syringantha Tamilnadia Tammsia Tapiphyllum Terenna Tarennoidea Temnocalyx Temnopteryx Tennantia Thecorchus Theligonum Thogsennia Thyridocalyx Timonius Tobagoa Tocoyena Tortuella Trailliaedoxa Tresanthera Triainolepis Tricalysia Trichostachys Trigonopyren Trukia Tsiangia Uragoga Urophyllum Valantia Vangueria Vangueriella Vangueriopsis Versteegia Villaria Virectaria Warburgina Warszewiczia Wendlandia Wernhamia Wiasemskya Wittmackanthus Xanthophytum Xantonnea Xerococcus Yutajea Zuccarinia In Watson and Dallwitz's Henriqueziaceae: Henriquezia Platycarpum In Watson and Dallwitz's Naucleaceae: Adina Breonia Cephalanthus Mitragyna Nauclea Neonauclea Sarcocephalus Uncaria

References and external links

• Rubiaceae, Henriquezaceae, Dialypetalanthaceae Theligonaceae and Naucleaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. http://delta-intkey.com
• MOBOT Rubiaceae