434 THE MADDER CROP. 



growth of the crop. At the same time it had a certain 

 reputation among herb-dealers and physicians for its me- 

 dicinal and curative powers, who, on the authority of the 

 ancients, ascribed to it various virtues, which, although 

 doubted by some, are still believed and relied upon at the 

 present day in the countries in which it is cultivated. 



Botanically, the MADDER belongs to the natural order 

 RUBIACE^E, which, by some Lindley and others is 

 divided into two orders, Cinchonacese, and Galiacese or 

 Stellatse, in which latter division the madder and allied 

 genera are classed. These are mostly natives of the 

 northern parts of the northern hemisphere, where they 

 appear as common weeds, and of high mountainous re- 

 gions in Peru, Chili, and Australia. First among these 

 in importance is the common madder of cultivation Ru- 

 BIA TINCTORUM, one of the most valuable dye plants 

 that we possess a perennial plant possessing the desired 

 properties in a greater degree than any of the other mem- 

 bers of the family indigenous to or susceptible of cultiva- 

 tion in this country, though they all possess a certain 

 colouring principle. The roots of the Rubia cordifolia 

 yield the madder of Bengal, and form an article of export 

 commerce to Europe under the name of munjeet. R. 

 angustissima, from Tong Dong, has also highly coloured 

 roots, and the R. rilboun is the native madder of Chili. 

 The cultivated madder has long branching succulent roots, 

 creeping along the surface, and also descending deep into 

 the subsoil. The stem is harsh, brittle, angular, and 

 armed with hard points at the angles. The leaves grow 

 in whorls of four to six, and even more, are narrowly lan- 

 ceolate, and bordered by minute, hard, and prickly teeth. 

 The flowers are small, of a yellowish colour, and produced 

 in short axillary panicles ; the fruit, which is about the 

 size of a pea, is of a dark purple colour. The flowering 

 process and maturation of the seed of the plant require a 



