Good Information Sir Nice Startup On Sun, Feb 5, 2012 at 11:59 AM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]> wrote:
> Rubiaceae > Madder family, Coffee family or Bedstraw family > named after madder genus *Rubia* > Worldwide in distribution, but mainly distributed in the tropics and > subtropics, especially the woody members. > Genera nearly 630, species 13000 > > Major Genera > *Psychotria (1450 species)* > *Galium (410)* > *Ixora (370)* > *Pavetta (360)* > *Hedyotis (360)* > *Tarenia (350)* > *Randia (240)* > *Gardenia (240)* > *Mussaenda (190). * > > Trees (Adina, Neolamarckia) or shrubs (*Ixora, Gardenia*), rarely herbs (* > Galium*), sometimes climbing (*Rubia*) with hooked hairs, rarely > epiphytic (Myrmecodia) with large swellings on roots inhabiting ants, > usually with Iridoids, raphide crystals common. Leaves opposite, with > interpetiolar stipules which often become as large a leaves and thus > forming whorled arrangement of leaves, simple, entire, often turning > blackish when dry, with colleters in leaf axils. Inflorescence cymose, > sometimes capitate (*Adina*), or solitary (*Gardenia*). Flowers bisexual, > actinomorphic, rarely zygomorphic (*Posoqueria*) epigynous, sometimes > dimorphic (*Randia*). Calyx with 4-5 sepals, adnate to ovary, 5-lobed, > lobes often very small, one sometimes enlarged and brightly coloured (* > Mussaenda*). Corolla with 4-5 petals, (rarely 8-10), united, tubular, > rotate or funnel-shaped, valvate, imbricate or twisted. Androecium with 4-5 > stamens, free, epipetalous, anthers bithecous, dehiscence longitudinal, > introrse, pollen grains usually tricolporate. Gynoecium with 2 (rarely > 1-many) united carpels, ovary inferior, rarely superior (*Pugama*) or > semi-inferior (*Synaptantha*), bilocular (rarely 1-many locules) with > 1-many ovules in each chamber, placentation axile (rarely apical or basal), > nectar disc usually present above the ovary, style slender, stigma capitate > or lobed. Fruit a berry, capsule, drupe or schizocarp; seeds 1-many, with > small embryo, curved or straight, endosperm present or absent. > > Economic importance: The family is economically important for being the > source of coffee, quinine and a large number of ornamentals. Coffee is > obtained from roasted seeds of *Coffea arabica* and *C. canephora*. > Quinine, a remedy for malaria is derived from several species of *Cinchona > *. Madder (*Rubia tinctoria*) was formerly cultivated for its red dye > alizarin. Important ornamentals include *Gardenia, Ixora, Hamelia, > Neolamarckia* (cadamb tree) and *Mussaenda*. > > > -- > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > Retired Associate Professor > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ > > -- Regards Dr Balkar Singh Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology Arya P G College, Panipat Haryana-132103 09416262964
