The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules and sympetalous actinomorphic flowers. The family contains about 13,500 species in about 620 genera, which makes it the fourth-largest angiosperm family. Rubiaceae has a cosmopolitan distribution; however, the largest species diversity is concentrated in the tropics and subtropics. Economically important species include Coffea, the source of coffee, Cinchona, the source of the antimalarial alkaloid quinine, some dye plants, and ornamental cultivars.
Galium is a large genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Rubiaceae, occurring in the temperate zones of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Some species are informally known as bedstraw.
Sherardia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus contains only one species, viz. Sherardia arvensis or (blue) field madder, which is widespread across most of Europe and northern Africa as well as southwest and central Asia and Macaronesia. It is also reportedly naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Kerguelen, Ethiopia, Sudan, southern Africa, Mexico, Costa Rica, South America, Bermuda, Cuba, Haiti and much of Canada and the United States.
Psychotria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It contains 1,582 species and is therefore one of the largest genera of flowering plants. The genus has a pantropical distribution and members of the genus are small understorey trees in tropical forests. Some species are endangered or facing extinction due to deforestation, especially species of central Africa and the Pacific.
Scyphiphora is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is the only genus in the tribe Scyphiphoreae. The genus contains only one species, viz. Scyphiphora hydrophylacea, which has a large distribution range from India, to tropical Asia and the western Pacific. It is a shrub of about 3 m (10 ft) and is often found in mangrove forests or sandy beaches. Its local common names include chengam in Malaysia, ngam in Thailand, nilad or sagasa in the Philippines, and côi in Vietnam.
Houstonia (bluet) is a genus of plants in the family Rubiaceae. Many species were formerly classified, along with other genera since segregated elsewhere, in a more inclusive genus Hedyotis.
Luculia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It was described by Robert Sweet in 1826 and is currently found from the Himalayas to southern China. The species are shrubs or small trees, generally found on upland scrub and woodland or forest margins. They have large leaves from 20–35 cm with prominent veins carried in opposite pairs. The inflorescence is a terminal umbel or corymb of tubular/open ended white, pink or creamy flowers with 5 spreading petals. It may be from 10–20 cm, depending on the species.
Glionnetia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus contains only one species, viz. Glionnetia sericea, which is endemic to Mahé and Silhouette Island in the Seychelles. The species thrives mainly on high ridges in the mountains and it does not seem to grow well at lower altitudes. Glionnetia sericea is a small flower with paniculate terminal inflorescences and it has capsules that are dispersed by wind.
Guettarda is a plant genus in the family Rubiaceae. Most of these plants are known by the common name Velvetseed. Estimates of the number of species range from about 50 to 162. Most of the species are neotropical. Twenty are found in New Caledonia and one reaches Australia. A few others are found on islands and in coastal areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Rondeletia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to the Neotropics. There are around 160 species.
Burchellia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus contains only one species, viz. Burchellia bubalina, which is endemic to southern Africa: the Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Provinces in South Africa, and Eswatini. It is commonly known as "wild pomegranate" (English) or "wildegranaat" (Afrikaans).
Atractocarpus chartaceus, the narrow-leaved gardenia or thin-leaved gardenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae from eastern Australia. The habitat is the understorey of subtropical and tropical rainforest on fertile soils. The natural range of distribution is from the Richmond River, New South Wales to tropical Queensland. This plant features beautifully scented flowers.
Atractocarpus fitzalanii, the brown gardenia or yellow mangosteen, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae found in tropical Queensland in Australia. The beautifully scented flowers and lush growth has seen this plant enter cultivation in subtropical gardens in Eastern Australia.
Adina is a genus of 11 species of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs or small trees, native to East Asia and Southeast Asia.
Hillia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It has 24 species. All are indigenous to tropical America.
Fadogiella is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It was described by Walter Robyns in 1928.
Retiniphyllum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains 20 species. It is the only genus in the tribe Retiniphylleae. The representatives are shrubs or small trees that grow in white sand soils in tropical South America. They are mainly distributed in the Guayana Region (Venezuela) but also occur in the Amazon Basin, the eastern Andes and central and eastern Brasil.
Chiococceae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains about 233 species in 27 genera. Most representatives occur from southern Florida to tropical and subtropical America, except for the genera Badusa and Bikkia, which are found from the Philippines to the West Pacific, and Morierina and Thiollierea, which are native to New Caledonia.
Crossopteryx is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus contains only one species, viz. Crossopteryx febrifuga, which is found in tropical and southern Africa.
Duidania is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus contains only one species, viz. Duidania montana, which is found in Guyana and southern Venezuela.
