Genus Rubia (Noun)
Meaning
Type genus of the Rubiaceae; Old World herbs and subshrubs grown for their medicinal properties and for dye substances extracted from their roots.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The genus Rubia is native to Europe, Western Asia, and Africa, with several species naturalized in North America.
- The madder lake pigment is extracted from the root of the Rubia plant, a type of perennial herb belonging to the genus Rubia.
- Genus Rubia includes over 60 species of flowering plants in the coffee family Rubiaceae.
- In the Middle Ages, plants from the genus Rubia were highly valued for their medicinal properties and were cultivated in monasteries.
- Several species from the genus Rubia are grown for their ability to produce alizarin and purpurin, substances used in natural dyeing.