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Rubiaceae (Large and important natural)

A large and important natural order of erect, prostrate, or climbing trees, shrubs, or herbs, mostly tropical and sub-tropical. Flowers hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, usually regular and symmetrical, variously disposed; calyx tube adnate to the ovary, the limb superior, obsoletely cup-like or tubular, entire, toothed, or lobed; corolla gamopetalous, infundibular, hypocrateriform, campanulate, or rotate, rarely urceolate or tubular, glabrous, pilose or villous within; limb equal, or very rarely unequal or bilabiate; lobes valvate in aestivation, rarely twisted or imbricated; stamens as many as the corolla lobes, very rarely fewer, inserted in the throat or tube; filaments short, elongated, or wanting, very rarely monadelphous; anthers usually twocelled. Fruit a capsule, berry, or drupe, two to ten (very rarely one) seeded. Leaves simple, opposite or whorled, entire, very rarely obtusely crenate, serrated, toothed, or pinnatifid-lobed; stipules various, persistent or deciduous, simple, or bifid or two-parted, free or connate with the petioles, or confluent in an axillary sheath, entire, toothed, or bristly, very rarely leaf-like. Among the economical products of Rubiaceae, coffee and quinine take front rank; madder, a valuable dye, may also be mentioned. The order comprises about 340 genera and 4100 species, many of which are well known in gardens. Examples: Bouvardia, Cinchona, Gardenia, Guettarda, Rondeletia.