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Rubia Ovatifolia
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae Family (biology), family of flowering plants, which also contains coffee. It contains around 80 species of perennial scrambling or climbing herbs and subshrubs native to the Old World. The genus and its best-known species are commonly known as madder, e.g. ''Rubia tinctorum'' (common madder), ''Rubia peregrina'' (wild madder), and ''Rubia cordifolia'' (Indian madder). Uses ''Rubia'' was an economically important source of a red pigment in many regions of Asia, Europe and Africa. The genus name ''Rubia'' derives from the Latin ' meaning "red". The plant's roots contain an anthracene compound called alizarin that gives its red colour to a textile dye known as Rose madder. It was also used as a colourant, especially for paint, that is referred to as Madder lake. The synthesis of alizarin greatly reduced demand for the natural compound. In Georgia (country), Georgia, Rubia is used for dying Easter eggs in red. History Several species, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rubia Tinctorum
''Rubia tinctorum'', the rose madder or common madder or dyer's madder, is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the bedstraw and coffee family Rubiaceae. Description The common madder can grow up to 1.5 m in height. The evergreen leaves are approximately 5–10 cm long and 2–3 cm broad, produced in whorls of 4–7 starlike around the central stem. It climbs with tiny hooks at the leaves and stems. The flowers are small (3–5 mm across), with five pale yellow petals, in dense racemes, and appear from June to August, followed by small (4–6 mm diameter) red to black berries. The roots can be over a metre long, up to 12 mm thick and the source of red dyes known as rose madder and Turkey red. It prefers loamy soils (sand and clay soil) with a constant level of moisture. Madder is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the hummingbird hawk moth. Uses It has been used since ancient times as a vegetable ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
