Rubiaceae – Coffee family
The coffee family, Rubiaceae, consists of 630 genera and 10,200 species.
Description of the family:
Trees, shrubs, annual or perennial herbs or climbers. Leaves simple, opposite or in whorls, entire.Stipules present, usually interpetiolar, less often intrapetiolar, entire or (in some herbaceous genera) with lobes or fimbriae. [Note that in the species of tribe Rubieae (the genera Galium, Rubia and Sherardia in Zimbabwe) the distinction between leaves and stipules breaks down and there are whorls of similar leaf-like objects.] Flowers usually bisexual, rarely unisexual (e.g. in some species of Anthospermum, Catunaregam and Canthium), actinomorphic. Calyx gamosepalous, (3-)4-5(-8)-lobed. Corolla gamopetalous, often with a long tube, (3-)4-5(-11)-lobed. Ovary inferior, of 2-5 or more carpels, usually 2. Fruit a capsule, berry or drupe.
Comment:
A usually readily recognisable family, even in the vegetative state, from the combination of opposite (or whorled) entire leaves and interpetiolar stipules.
Worldwide:
630 genera and 10,200 species, cosmopolitan, but mainly tropical and warm areas.
Zimbabwe:
72 genera and 230 taxa.
- Afrocanthium (Bridson) Lantz & B. Bremer
- Agathisanthemum Klotzsch
- Aidia Lour.
- Ancylanthos Desf.
- Anthospermum L.
- Breonadia Ridsdale
- Bullockia (Bridson) Razafim., Lantz & B. Bremer
- Canthium Lam.
- Carphalea Juss.
- Catunaregam Wolf
- Cephalanthus L.
- Chassalia Comm. ex Poir.
- Chazaliella E.M.A. Petit & Verdc.
- Coddia Verdc.
- Coffea L.
- Conostomium (Stapf) Cufod.
- Coptosperma Hook. f.
- Cordylostigma Groeninckx & Dessein
- Craterispermum Benth.
- Cremaspora Benth.
- Crossopteryx Fenzl
- Didymosalpinx Keay
- Diodia L.
- Empogona Hook. f.
- Fadogia Schweinf.
- Feretia Delile
- Galium L.
- Galopina Thunb.
- Gardenia J. Ellis
- Geophila D. Don
- Heinsenia K. Schum.
- Heinsia DC.
- Hymenodictyon Wall.
- Hyperacanthus E. Mey. ex Bridson
- Ixora L.
- Keetia E. Phillips
- Kohautia Cham. & Schltdl.
- Lagynias E. Mey. ex Robyns
- Lasianthus Jack
- Leptactina Hook. f.
- Multidentia Gilli
- Mussaenda L.
- Oldenlandia L.
- Otiophora Zucc.
- Otomeria Benth.
- Oxyanthus DC.
- Pachystigma Hochst.
- Paederia L.
- Paraknoxia Bremek.
- Pauridiantha Hook. f.
- Pavetta L. Description, Image
- Pentanisia Harv.
- Pentas Benth.
- Pentodon Hochst.
- Polysphaeria Hook. f.
- Psychotria L.
- Psydrax Gaertn.
- Pygmaeothamnus Robyns
- Pyrostria Juss.
- Richardia L.
- Rothmannia Thunb.
- Rubia L.
- Rutidea DC.
- Rytigynia Blume
- Sericanthe Robbr.
- Sherardia L.
- Spermacoce L.
- Tapiphyllum Robyns
- Tarenna Gaertn.
- Tricalysia A. Rich. ex DC.
- Vangueria Comm. ex Juss.
- Vangueriopsis Robyns
