Rubiaceae (gardenia, coffee and quinine family)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Asterids > Euasterid I > Order: Gentianales

A large family of 630 genera and about 10200 species found worldwide but particularly in tropical and warm regions. There are 61 genera and 228 species native or naturalised in southern Africa.

Genera native or naturalised (*) in southern Africa

List from Retief & Leistner (2000).

Agathisanthemum About 6 species, found in tropical Africa and the Comoro Islands, with 3 species in southern Africa.
Alberta Five species, 4 in Madagascar and 1, Alberta magna, in southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape).
Amphiasma Six species, occurring in tropical and southwestern Africa, with 3 species indigenous to southern Africa.
Ancylanthos Five species, found in tropical Africa, with 1 species, Ancylanthos rubiginosus, occurring in southern Africa.
Anthospermum A total of 40 species, found in Africa and Madagascar, with 21 species in southern Africa.
Breonadia One species, Breonadia salicina (common name: Matumi), found in tropical Africa and Madagascar; an important timber tree more commonly known as Matumi.
Burchellia One species, Burchellia bubalina, endemic to southern Africa.
Canthium About 52 species, found in tropical areas of the Old World, with 13 species in southern Africa.
Carpacoce Seven species, endemic to the Western and Eastern Cape.
Carphalea A total of 14 species, found in tropical Africa and Madagascar, with one species, Carphalea pubescens, in southern Africa (Namibia and Botswana).
Catunaregam About 6 species, found from tropical Africa to Asia, with one species, Catunaregam spinosa, in southern Africa.
Cephalanthus About 6 species, found in tropical regions and North America, with one species, Cephalanthus natalensis, in southern Africa.
Coddia One species, Coddia rudis, endemic to southern Africa.
Coffea A total of 40 species, occurring in the Old World tropics, with 2 species, Coffea racemosa and Coffea zanguebariae, indigenous to southern Africa. Coffee is produced mainly from Coffea arabica (Arabian coffee, Arabica coffee) although other species are also used, to a much lesser extent.
Conostomium A total of 9 species, found in the eastern regions of Africa, with 2 species, Conostomium natalense and Conostomium zoutpansbergense, in southern Africa.
Crossopteryx One species, Crossopteryx febrifuga, found in tropical Africa, including Namibia, Botswana and Limpopo Province.
* Diodia About 30 species, found in tropical and warm regions of Africa and America. The only species in southern Africa is an introduced naturalised species, Diodia dasycephala, which is a roadside weed in the Eastern Cape.
Eriosemopsis The sole species, Eriosemopsis subanisophylla, is endemic to southern Africa (southern KwaZulu-Natal and northern Eastern Cape).
Fadogia About 45 species, found in tropical Africa, with 3 species in southern Africa.
Feretia The 2 species are found in tropical Africa, with one, Feretia aeruginescens, extending into southern Africa (Namibia).
Gaillonia Total of 17 species, found in Africa and Asia, with one species, Gaillonia crocyllis, in southern Africa, endemic to southern Namibia and Northern Cape.
Galium About 400 species, found worldwide, with 12 species in southern Africa.
Galopina Four species with a distribution extending from southern Malawi to the southeastern regions of southern Africa.
Gardenia About 60 species, occurring in tropical and warm regions of the Old World, with seven species indigenous to southern Africa and a further two species that are cultivated in this region.
Guettarda About 60 species, mainly found in New Caledonia and tropical America, but with one species, Guettarda speciosa, in southern Africa, found on vegetated dunes of northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Heinsia Five species, found in tropical Africa, with one species, Heinsia crinita, in southern Africa (Limpopo Province).
Hymenodictyon Twenty species, found in the Old World, with one species, Hymenodictyon parvifolium, in southern Africa (Limpopo Province).
Hyperacanthus The 2 species occur in tropical Africa with both of them having distributions extending into southern Africa.
Keetia About 40 species, occurring in tropical Africa, with one species, Keetia gueinzii, in southern Africa.
Kohautia About 60 species, found in the Old World tropics, with 15 species in southern Africa.
Kraussia The 3 species are found in tropical Africa, with one of them, Kraussia floribunda, occurring in southern Africa.
Lagynias The 4 species are found in tropical Africa, with 3 of them in southern Africa.
Leptactina A total of 25 species, occurring in tropical Africa, with 1 species, Leptactinia delagoensis, in southern Africa (Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal).
Mitriostigma Five species, found in tropical Africa, with one species, Mitriostigma axillare, in southern Africa.
Nenax The 9 species are endemic to southern Africa.
Oldenlandia About 300 species, tropical in distribution, particularly Africa, with 13 species in southern Africa.
Otiophora Twenty species, occurring in tropical Africa and Madagascar, with 2 species in southern Africa.
Oxyanthus About 40 species, with 4 in southern Africa.
Pachystigma The 10 species are found in the warmer regions of Africa, with all of them occurring in southern Africa.
Paederia The 20 species are found in tropical regions, with 1, Paederia bojeriana, in southern Africa (Limpopo).
Pavetta About 400 species, found in the Old World tropics, with 21 species in southern Africa.
Pentanisia The 15 species are found in tropical Africa, with 3 of them occurring in southern Africa.
Pentas About 34 species, found in Africa, Arabian Peninsula and Madagascar, with 2 species in southern Africa.
Pentodon Two species, with a wide distribution in warm and tropical America, Africa, Arabian Peninsula and Seychelles. One species, Pentodon pentandrus, in southern Africa.
Phylohydrax Two species, found in tropical Africa and Madagascar, with one of them, Phylohydrax carnosa, occurring in southern Africa.
Plectroniella The 2 species are found in tropical Africa, with both of them occurring in southern Africa.
Psychotria About 1400 species, occurring in the tropics, with 2 species in southern Africa.
Psydrax About 100 species, found in the Old World tropics, with 4 species in the eastern parts of southern Africa.
Pygmaeothamnus The 4 species are found in tropical Africa, 2 of them occurring in southern Africa.
Pyrostria The 10 species are found in Africa, Madagascar and Mauritius, with one of them, Pyrostria hystrix, occurring in southern Africa.
* Richardia About 15 species, indigenous to tropical America, with 4 naturalised species in southern Africa.
Rothmannia About 40 species, found in tropical Africa, Asia and the Seychelles; 3 species occur in southern Africa.
Rubia About 60 species, found in Africa, temperate Asia and America, with 3 species in southern Africa.
Rytigynia About 70 species, found in tropical Africa, with 2 species in southern Africa.
Sericanthe A total of 17species, found in tropical Africa, with one species, Sericanthe andongensis, in southern Africa (Limpopo Province).
* Sherardia The only species, Sherardia arvensis, is indigenous to Europe, Mediterranean and West Asia, and has become naturalised in southern Africa.
Spermacoce About 100 species, with 5 species in southern Africa.
Tarenna About 180 species, occurring in the Old World tropics, with 8 species in southern Africa.
Tricalysia About 100 species, found in tropical regions of the Old World, with 7 species in southern Africa.
Vangueria A total of 27 species, found in tropical Africa and Madagascar, with 5 species in southern Africa.
Vangueriopsis The 18 species are found in tropical Africa, with 1 species, Vangueriopsis lanciflora, in southern Africa (Namibia).

Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002). The species name is provided in genera that have only one species represented in southern Africa.

Asperula tinctoria (Dyer's woodruff) Indigenous to the Mediterranean.
Bouvardia ternifolia Indigenous to southern USA and Mexico.
Cinchona (Peruvian bark, Quinine trees) There are about 40 species, all indigenous to Central and South America. At least one, unidentified, species has been cultivated in southern Africa. The genus is best known as the source of quinine, which is derived from the bark of these trees. Quinine has, and still is, used in the treatment of malaria.
Coprosma Four species cultivated, including Coprosma repens (Looking glass plant).
Crucianella angustifolia Indigenous from Portugal to Turkey.
Hamelia patens Indigenous from Florida to Brazil.
Hoffmannia refulgens Indigenous to Mexico.
Ixora Six species cultivated.
Luculia gratissima Indigenous to India.
Manettia luteo-rubra Indigenous from Brazil to Uruguay.
Morinda citrifolia (Indian mulberry) Indigenous from tropical Asia to Australia.
Mussaenda Eight species cultivated.
Myrmecodia beccarii Indigenous to northeastern Australia.
Nauclea orientalis (Kauluang) Indigenous from Burma to northern Australia.
Palicourea gardenioides Indigenous to Mexico.
Phuopsis stylosa
Posoqueria latifolia (Brazilian oak) Indigenous to tropical America.
Rondeletia Two species cultivated.
Serissa japonica (Niklande) Indigenous from Japan to Indonesia.

Publications

Bridson, D.M. 1998. Rubiaceae. Flora Zambesiaca 5,2: 211-377.
Bridson, D.M. & Verdcourt, B. 1988. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Rubiaceae (part 2): 415-747.
Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.
Launert, E. 1966. Rubiaceae. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 115: 1-27.
Retief, E. & Leistner, O.A. 2000. Rubiaceae. In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 476-495. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Verdcourt, B. 1976. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Rubiaceae (part 1): 1-414.
Verdcourt, B. 1989. Rubiaceae. Flora Zambesiaca 5,1: 1-210.
Verdcourt, B. & Bridson, D.M. 1991. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Rubiaceae (part 3): 1-956.