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 genera include Coffea, the source of coffee, Cinchona, the source of the antimalarial alkaloid quinine, ornamental cultivars, and historically some dye plants.
Morinda is a genus of flowering plants in the madder family, Rubiaceae. The generic name is derived from the Latin words morus "mulberry", from the appearance of the fruits, and indica, meaning "of India".
The rufous-breasted hermit or hairy hermit is a hummingbird that breeds from Panama south to Bolivia, and on Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada. It is a widespread and generally common species, though local populations may change in numbers and disappear altogether in marginal habitat.
The purple-throated mountaingem is a species of hummingbird in tribe Lampornithini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.
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.
Palicourea fuchsioides is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador.
Palicourea herrerae is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to Peru.
Psychotria domatiata is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to Jamaica. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Palicourea microcarpa, synonym Rudgea microcarpa, is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to Bolivia and Peru.
Sabicea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are known commonly as the woodvines. The type species is Sabicea cinerea. There are about 145 species. Most are distributed in tropical Africa and South America.
Turbinicarpus schmiedickeanus is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae.
Palicourea tomentosa, many synonyms, including Psychotria poeppigiana, is a plant species in the family Rubiaceae. A common name is sore-mouth bush, though it is not very often used.
Ramosmania is a genus of two species of small trees in the family Rubiaceae; one is extinct. Both species are endemic to the island of Rodrigues, Mauritius.
Psychotrieae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains about 2114 species in 17 genera. Its representatives are found in the tropics and subtropics. Several genera are Myrmecophytes
Palicoureeae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains about 817 species in 11 genera. Its representatives are found in the tropics and subtropics.
Dr. Charlotte M. Taylor is a botanist and professor specialising in taxonomy and conservation. She works with the large plant family Rubiaceae, particularly found in the American tropics and in the tribes Palicoureeae and Psychotrieae. This plant family is an economically important group, as it includes plant species used to make coffee and quinine. Taylor also conducts work related to the floristics of Rubiaceae and morphological radiations of the group. Taylor has collected plant samples from many countries across the globe, including Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and the United States of America, and has named many new species known to science from these regions. As of 2023, Taylor has authored 500 land plant species' names, the third-highest number of such names authored by any female scientist.
Palicourea elata, formerly Psychotria elata, commonly known as girlfriend kiss and labios de puta, is a tropical plant that ranges from Central to South American rain forests in countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Colombia. Palicourea elata is extremely sensitive and requires specific climates to grow, those climates most like rainforests are best suitable for this plant. It is most notable for its distinctly shaped red bracts and is consequently nicknamed “Hot Lips”. Though the bright red bracts are considered its most flashy feature, they are not the actual flowers of the plant but instead extravagant leaves; the flowers of Palicourea elata lie within the “red lip” leaves. Just like human lips, the hot lips plant comes in a variety of shapes and forms offering a vast array of plants. P. elata is well-studied and has been documented over centuries to provide various health benefits to native communities. Due to these benefits and the overall appearance of the plant, it has been over-harvested and is now endangered.
Brosimum guianense, called snakewood, letterwood, leopardwood, and amourette, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Brosimum, native to southern Mexico, Central America, Trinidad, and tropical South America. A tree reaching 40 m (130 ft), its heartwood can command a price of $30 per kg.
Samuelssonia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Acanthaceae. It has only one known species, Samuelssonia verrucosa, a small tree which grows to 5 meters tall which is native to the Massif de la Hotte in Haiti.
Psychotria samoritourei is a liana species belonging to the family Rubiaceae, native to the forests of the Loma-Man highlands in Upper Guinea, West Africa. It is the sixth known lianescent African species of its genus. It is found in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. It is also possible that the species is present in other, less thoroughly surveyed areas of the submontane forests of the Loma-Man highlands. If discovered, it is likely that the threat status of the species would be reduced. It is a climber to at least 10 m, and possibly up to 20 m.
