Rubiaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Rubiaceae Jussieu

Synonym(s): Aparinaceae Hoffmanns. & Link; Asperulaceae Cham. ex Spenn.; Cinchonaceae Batsch; Coffeaceae Batsch; Cynocrambaceae Meisn., nom. illeg.; Dialypetalanthaceae Rizzini & Occhioni, nom. cons.; Galiaceae Lindl.; Gardeniaceae Dumort.; Henriqueziaceae Bremek.; Lippayaceae Meisn.; Lygodisodeaceae Bartl.; Naucleaceae Wernham; Operculariaceae Juss. ex Perleb; Theligonaceae Dumort., nom. cons.

Common name(s): madder family

*Number of genera/species: 631/13,620

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

fruit, fruit segment, pyrene, or seed

Description

Fruit usually derived from 2-carpelled gynoecium, often loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
or septicidalsepticidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally by separating between the septa of adjacent carpels
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
, rarely circumscissilecircumscissile:
(~pyxis); type of capsular dehiscence, opens by a lid (splitting transversely)
(operculum or through apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
beak), dentricidal, or ceratium. Or indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
schizocarp splitting into two indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
or dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
mericarps (nutlets, coccicoccus:
fruitlets, derived from a schizocarpous gynoecium, opening along their ventral sutures and sometimes the dorsal sutures as a result of their separation from one another or from a central axis (Spjut 1994, slight modification)
, or berriesberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
), berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
, or drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
(with 1–2(–22) pyrenespyrene:
the hard inner portion of a drupe, consisting of a bony endocarp and an enclosed seed
per drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
, which often function as disseminulesdisseminule:
detachable plant part capable of being disseminated and of propagating, commonly a seed or fruit
), rarely samarasamara:
a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s)
(Allenanthus, Cosmocalyx) or aggregateaggregate:
fruit formed from a single flower with carpels several and distinct
of achenesachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point
or drupeletsdrupelet:
one drupe of a fruit with multiple drupes, as in blackberries
(sorosis, e.g. Morinda). PyrenesPyrene:
the hard inner portion of a drupe, consisting of a bony endocarp and an enclosed seed
often with germination slits. Fruits 2–180 mm long, variable in shape, often subglobosesubglobose:
3D shape—almost globose
to ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, usually tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
, sometimes compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
or flattened in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, stylestyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
persistent. Fruit sometimes beakedbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
or winged, if winged with 4–8 wings, 1- to many-seeded, often crowned by persistent, sometimes accrescentaccrescent:
growing continuously
, calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
black, blue, purple, brown, green, gray, red, orange, yellow, or white, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
.

Berries and drupesdrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
usually fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
, sometimes leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
or woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
, rarely spongyspongy:
soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient
or corkycorky:
firm, relatively light, discontinuous but strongly cohesive, and resilient
. PyrenesPyrene:
the hard inner portion of a drupe, consisting of a bony endocarp and an enclosed seed
cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
or bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
, sometimes paperypapery:
texture—papyraceous, chartaceous; very thin, pliable, and readily torn; like paper
. CapsulesCapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
and schizocarpsschizocarp:
fruit formed from a single ovary, with fused carpels, with or without accessory tissue; splitting between locules to form distinct, indehiscent, usually one seeded segments; usually dry, rarely fleshy (compare mericarp)
usually chartaceouschartaceous:
=papery, papyraceous
to woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
, sometimes cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, rarely membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
or bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
. Fruits, all types, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
or less frequently pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, if pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
usually with short, scattered hairs, smooth or lenticellate, groovedgrooved:
surface relief—linear depressions that may be single or form a series of grooves over the surface
(pyrenes), ridgedridged:
surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface
, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
, or pustulatepustular:
surface relief—with small blisters or pustules
.

Seed globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to angularangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles
, with or without fold between cotyledons and hypocotyl-radicle, sometimes notched, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
, compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
, or flattened, 0.1–25 mm long. Sometimes marginally winged (narrow or broad), often paperypapery:
texture—papyraceous, chartaceous; very thin, pliable, and readily torn; like paper
, winged at one or both ends, or rarely caudatecaudate:
tapering to a long, tail-like appendage
. Arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
or arillike structure sometimes present (Cephalanthus, Leptodermis, Shaferocharis, Spermacoce), if present usually white. Seed coat brown or black, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
or sometimes pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
(comose trichomestrichome:
a hair or hairlike outgrowth of the epidermis
, Hillia), smooth or groovedgrooved:
surface relief—linear depressions that may be single or form a series of grooves over the surface
(often single deep groove), striatestriate:
surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges
, pittedpitted:
surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net
, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
, reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
, or papillosepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex
(often hairy). Seeds sometimes embedded in fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
or mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
pulp. Hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
, if present and conspicuous, may be linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
to broad, deeply concave, or comma-shaped.

Embryo well developed, completely to partially filling seed coat, axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric, foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
or conicalconical:
3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end
, straight to curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
. Cotyledons spatulatespatulate:
2D shape—like a spatula; rounded at the apex, with base long and tapered; (of embryo) embryo is straight and axile and centric with the cotyledons expanded to form the shape of a spatula or spoon; (of cotyledons) cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk but not invested into the stalk
or investinginvesting:
(of embryo) embryo is nearly or completely filling seed coat, straight, and axile and centric with spatulate cotyledons and covering the stalk for at least half its length; (of cotyledons) cotyledons spatulate and covering the stalk for at least half its length
, 0.1 to 0.9 times the length of embryo, thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
, foliaceous or not, flat or convoluted, oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, ovateovate:
2D shape—egg-shaped in outline, widest point is towards one end of the organ, the other end tapers gradually, attachment at or near the broad end (compare obovate, ovoid)
, cordateHabitat and crop association

Noxious Weeds: USA Federal Noxious Weed List, Spermacoce alata Aublet, terrestrial.

More about this species on the Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the US ID tool.
 

Identification features

Fruit
Type	capsule, drupe, berry, schizocarp splitting into 2 indehiscent or dehiscent mericarps, rarely samara or aggregate of achenes or drupelets
Size range	2–180 mm long
Shape(s)	subglobose, hemispherical, cupuliform, ellipsoid, oblong, fusiform, ovoid, cylindrical, conical, wedge-shaped, didymous, angled, rarely mitriform or obcordiform
Texture	papery, leathery, woody, cartilaginous, membranous, bony, rarely spongy or corky
Surface relief	smooth, lenticellate, grooved (pyrenes), ridged, warty, pustulate
Color(s)	black, blue, purple, brown, green, gray, red, orange, yellow, white
Unique features	Fruits variable but often splitting into two segments with each fruit with a flattened or concave face and crowned by persistent calyx.
Seed
Size range	0.1–25 mm long
Shape(s)	globose, planoconvex, ellipsoid, lens-shaped, ovoid, oblong, lanceoloid, or angled (including cuboidal), rarely sigmoid or fusiform (Dialypetalanthus fucescens) or hippocrepiform (Theligonum)
Surface relief	smooth, grooved (deeply so), striate, pitted, warty, reticulate, wrinkled, papillose (often hairy), and or/or marginally winged
Color(s)	black, brown
Unique features	Seeds vary greatly in all traits. Some seeds with ruminate endosperm.
Other
Embryo	well developed, completely to partially filling seed coat, axile and centric, foliate or conical, straight to curved. Cotyledons spatulate or investing, 0.1 to 0.9 times the length of embryo, thin, foliaceous or not, flat or convoluted, oblong, ovate, cordate, or orbicular.
Nutritive tissue	endosperm usually copious, soft- or hard-fleshy, smooth or ruminate, rarely scanty or absent

Distribution

Worldwide.

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

Eriksson and Bremer 1991; Goldberg 1986; Kirkbride et al. 2006; Noxious Weed Regulations 2020; Takhtajan 2009; Taylor 2021+; USDA 1980

*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.