Madder family (Rubiaceae)

Most of the 10 400 members of the madder family are tropical woody plants (example: coffee (Coffea)). In temperate zones, only few, herbaceous species are growing (example: sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), or bedstraw, shown here).

Important useful plants apart from coffee are various Chinchona-species (quinine) and the madder plant (Rubia tinctorum), which provided in former times the red pigment alizarin.