Thanks Satish ji for additional information
-- 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/ On Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 9:07 PM, Satish Phadke <[email protected]> wrote: > Very clear concise description of the family Rubiaceae. > As said above > Latin word *Ruber* means red. The name of the family comes from the genus > Rubia(Madder) > Red dye is obtained from the roots of it. > > 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/ >> >> > > > -- > Dr Satish Phadke >
