''Rubia'' is the type
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of the
Rubiaceae family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s, which also contains coffee. It contains around 80 species of perennial scrambling or climbing
herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
s and
subshrub
A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...
s native to the
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
.
The genus and its best-known species are commonly known as madder, e.g. ''
Rubia tinctorum
''Rubia tinctorum'', the rose madder or common madder or dyer's madder, is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the Galium, bedstraw and Coffea, coffee family Rubiaceae.
Description
The common madder can grow up to 1.5 m in height ...
'' (common madder), ''
Rubia peregrina
''Rubia peregrina'', the common wild madder, is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the bedstraw and coffee family Rubiaceae.
Etymology
The genus name ''Rubia'' derives from the Latin ' meaning "red", as the roots of some species ...
'' (wild madder), and ''
Rubia cordifolia
''Rubia cordifolia'', often known as common madder or Indian madder, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. It has been cultivated for a red pigment derived from roots.
Common names of this plant include manjistha in S ...
'' (Indian madder).
Uses
![Naturally dyed skeins](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Naturally_dyed_skeins.jpg)
''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
Anthracene is a solid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) of formula C14H10, consisting of three fused benzene rings. It is a component of coal tar. Anthracene is used in the Economic production, production of the red dye alizarin and other dyes ...
compound called
alizarin that gives its red colour to a textile
dye
A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...
known as
Rose madder
Rose madder (also known as madder) is a red paint made from the pigment madder lake, a traditional lake pigment extracted from the common madder plant '' Rubia tinctorum''.
Madder lake contains two organic red dyes: alizarin and purpurin.
...
. It was also used as a
colourant, especially for
paint
Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or solid mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture. Paint can be made in many ...
, that is referred to as
Madder lake. The synthesis of
alizarin greatly reduced demand for the natural compound.
In
Georgia, Rubia is used for dying
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
eggs in red.
History
Several species, such as ''
Rubia tinctorum
''Rubia tinctorum'', the rose madder or common madder or dyer's madder, is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the Galium, bedstraw and Coffea, coffee family Rubiaceae.
Description
The common madder can grow up to 1.5 m in height ...
'' in Europe, ''
Rubia cordifolia
''Rubia cordifolia'', often known as common madder or Indian madder, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. It has been cultivated for a red pigment derived from roots.
Common names of this plant include manjistha in S ...
'' in India, and ''
Rubia argyi'' in East Asia, were extensively cultivated from antiquity until the mid nineteenth century for red dye, commonly called ''madder''. Cloth dyed with it has been found on
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
mummies
A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay furth ...
. It was the ''ereuthedanon'' () used for dyeing the cloaks of the
Libyan women in the days of
Herodotus
Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey) and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria ( Italy). He is known f ...
. It is the ''erythrodanon'' () of
Pedanius Dioscorides, who wrote of its cultivation in
Caria
Caria (; from Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; tr, Karya) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionians, Ionian and Dorians, Dorian Greeks colonized the west of i ...
, and of
Hippocrates
Hippocrates of Kos (; grc-gre, Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Κῷος, Hippokrátēs ho Kôios; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician of the classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of ...
, and the ''Rubia'' of
Pliny. ''R. tinctorum'' was extensively cultivated in south Europe,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, where it is called ''garance'', and the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, and to a small extent in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Large quantities were imported into
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
from
Smyrna
Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...
,
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
,
Livorno
Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...
, etc. The cultivation, however, decreased after alizarin was made artificially.
Madder was employed medicinally in ancient civilizations and in the Middle Ages.
John Gerard
John Gerard (also John Gerarde, c. 1545–1612) was an English herbalist with a large garden in Holborn, now part of London. His 1,484-page illustrated ''Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes'', first published in 1597, became a popular gard ...
, in 1597, wrote of it as having been cultivated in many gardens in his day, and describes its many supposed virtues, but any
pharmacological or
therapeutic
A therapy or medical treatment (often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx) is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis.
As a rule, each therapy has indications and contraindications. There are many different ...
action which madder may possess is unrecognizable. Its most remarkable
physiological
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...
effect was found to be that of colouring red the
bone
A bone is a Stiffness, rigid Organ (biology), organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red blood cell, red and white blood cells, store minerals, provid ...
s of animals fed upon it, as also the
claws and
beak
The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food ...
s of birds. This appears to be due to the chemical affinity of
calcium phosphate for the colouring matter.
[Pereira, ''Mat. Med.'', vol. ii. pt. 2, p. 52 ] This property was used to enable physiologists to ascertain the manner in which bones develop, and the functions of the various types of
cell found in growing bone.
Species
* ''
Rubia agostinhoi
''Rubia agostinhoi'' is a climbing plant species of the Rubiaceae family endemic to the Azores It was defined by ecologist Pierre Dansereau and Pinto da Silva in 1977.
Description
''Rubia agostinhoi'' has branched, glabrous, brushed or smooth ...
''
Dans. & P.Silva
* ''
Rubia aitchisonii''
Deb & Malick
* ''
Rubia alaica''
Pachom.
* ''
Rubia alata
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
Wall.
* ''
Rubia albicaulis
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Boiss.
* ''
Rubia angustisissima''
Wall. ex G.Don
* ''
Rubia argyi''
(H.Lév. & Vaniot) Hara ex Lauener
* ''
Rubia atropurpurea''
Decne.
* ''
Rubia balearica''
(Willk.) Porta
* ''
Rubia caramanica''
Bornm.
* ''
Rubia charifolia
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Wall. ex G.Don
* ''
Rubia chinensis
''Rubia chinensis'' is a species of flowering plants belonging to the family Rubiaceae.
It is native to Southern Russian Far East
The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲn ...
''
Regel & Maack
* ''
Rubia chitralensis
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
Ehrend.
* ''
Rubia clematidifolia''
Blume ex Decne.
* ''
Rubia cordifolia
''Rubia cordifolia'', often known as common madder or Indian madder, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. It has been cultivated for a red pigment derived from roots.
Common names of this plant include manjistha in S ...
''
L.
* ''
Rubia crassipes
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 ...
''
Collett & Hemsl.
* ''
Rubia cretacea
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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-know ...
''
Pojark.
* ''
Rubia danaensis
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Danin
* ''
Rubia davisiana''
Ehrend.
* ''
Rubia deserticola
''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 ...
''
Pojark.
* ''
Rubia discolor''
Turcz.
* ''
Rubia dolichophylla''
Schrenk
* ''
Rubia edgeworthii
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Hook.f.
* ''
Rubia falciformis
''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 ...
''
H.S.Lo
* ''
Rubia filiformis''
F.C.How ex H.S.Lo
* ''
Rubia florida
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Boiss.
* ''
Rubia fruticosa''
Aiton
* ''
Rubia garrettii
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Craib
* ''
Rubia gedrosiaca
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Bornm.
* ''
Rubia haematantha
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Ary Shaw
* ''
Rubia hexaphylla''
(Makino) Makino
* ''
Rubia himalayensis''
Klotzsch
* ''
Rubia hispidicaulis''
D.G.Long
* ''
Rubia horrida''
(Thunb.) Puff
* ''
Rubia infundibularis''
Hemsl. & Lace
* ''
Rubia jesoensis''
(Miq.) Miyabe & Kudo
* ''
Rubia komarovii
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Pojark.
* ''
Rubia krascheninnikovii
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Pojark.
* ''
Rubia laevissima
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Tschern.
* ''
Rubia latipetala''
H.S.Lo
* ''
Rubia laurae
''Rubia laurae'', the Cyprus madder, is a trailing perennial with a woody rootstock, stems 10–100 cm long. Leaves 4-whorled, simple, irregularly serrulate, glaucous, coriaceous, sessile, with a broad asymmetrical base, 8–30 x 2–8 ...
''
(Holmboe) Airy Shaw
* ''
Rubia laxiflora
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Gontsch.
* ''
Rubia linii
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
J.M.Chao
* ''
Rubia magna
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
P.G.Xiao
* ''
Rubia mandersii''
Collett & Hemsl.
* ''
Rubia manjith
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Roxb. ex Fleming
* ''
Rubia maymanensis
''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 ...
''
Ehrend. & Schönb.-Tem.
* ''
Rubia membranacea''
Diels
* ''
Rubia oncotricha''
Hand.-Mazz.
* ''
Rubia oppositifolia
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
Griff.
* ''
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 ...
''
Z.Ying Zhang ex Q.Lin
* ''
Rubia pallida''
Diels
* ''
Rubia pauciflora''
Boiss.
* ''
Rubia pavlovii''
Bajtenov & Myrz.
* ''
Rubia peregrina
''Rubia peregrina'', the common wild madder, is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the bedstraw and coffee family Rubiaceae.
Etymology
The genus name ''Rubia'' derives from the Latin ' meaning "red", as the roots of some species ...
''
L.
* ''
Rubia petiolaris''
DC.
* ''
Rubia philippinensis
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Elmer
* ''
Rubia podantha
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
Diels
* ''
Rubia polyphlebia
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
H.S.Lo
* ''
Rubia pterygocaulis
''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 ...
''
H.S.Lo
* ''
Rubia rechingeri
''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 ...
''
Ehrend.
* ''
Rubia regelii''
Pojark.
* ''
Rubia rezniczenkoana''
Litv.
* ''
Rubia rigidifolia''
Pojark.
* ''
Rubia rotundifolia
''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 ...
''
Banks & Sol.
* ''
Rubia salicifolia''
H.S.Lo
* ''
Rubia schugnanica''
B.Fedtsch. ex Pojark.
* ''
Rubia schumanniana
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 ...
''
E.Pritz.
* ''
Rubia siamensis
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Craib
* ''
Rubia sikkimensis
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Kurz
* ''
Rubia sylvatica
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
(Maxim.) Nakai
* ''
Rubia tatarica''
(Trevir.) F.Schmidt
* ''
Rubia tenuifolia
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
d'Urv.
* ''
Rubia tenuissima
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
ined.
* ''
Rubia thunbergii''
DC.
* ''
Rubia tibetica
''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 ...
''
Hook.f.
* ''
Rubia tinctorum
''Rubia tinctorum'', the rose madder or common madder or dyer's madder, is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the Galium, bedstraw and Coffea, coffee family Rubiaceae.
Description
The common madder can grow up to 1.5 m in height ...
''
L.
* ''
Rubia transcaucasica
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Grossh.
* ''
Rubia trichocarpa
''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 ...
''
H.S.Lo
* ''
Rubia truppeliana
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 sp ...
''
Loes.
* ''
Rubia wallichiana
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Decne.
* ''
Rubia yunnanensis
''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae 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 spe ...
''
Diels
References
External links
''Rubia'' in the World Checklist of Rubiaceae
{{Authority control
Medicinal plants
Non-timber forest products
Plant dyes
Rubiaceae genera
Rugs and carpets