XVII. THE MADDER FAMILY. 347 
The elegance of the evergreen foliage causes it to be much 
sought after, to be mingled with bouquets in winter; and for this 
purpose it is brought from considerable distances, and carefully 
kept in cellars sometimes for months. 
FAMILY XVII. THE MADDER FAMILY. RUBIA‘CEA. Jussrev. 
This is a very extensive family, comprehending nearly two 
thousand species of trees, shrubs and herbs, with roundish or 
four-sided stems and branches, entire leaves, opposite or in 
whorls, with stipules between the leaves, often resembling 
leaves, and with regular flowers. 
This family is divided into many sub-orders and tribes, 
and, with the exception of that, (Stel/at@,) which includes the 
Madder, Rubia, and the Cleavers, Gdlium, which is made a 
separate family by some writers, is a remarkably natural one. 
It is mostly confined to countries within or near the tropics, 
a few species only occurring far to the north. The properties 
of different plants of this family are of the greatest import- 
ance. Madder, and several species of Gadlium yield valuable 
dyes and pigments. The roots of Dyers’ Cleavers, G. tinc- 
torium, were employed by the North American Indians to give 
to the quills of the porcupine a red color, which neither sun, 
air, nor water would change. The seeds of some species of 
the same genus, are a successful substitute for coffee. The 
Peruvian bark, (Ain-kina, ‘‘the bark of barks,”) the best febri- 
fuge known, is obtained from several species of Cinchona, na- 
tives of Peru, which possess, in very various degrees, the bitter, 
astringent and alkaline properties, which give them their virtue. 
Pinckneya pubens, the fever bark of Carolina, is reputed to 
have properties similar to Cinchona. Coffee is the horny, albu- 
minous seed of Coffea Arabica, the best known and most import- 
ant species of anumerous group. All the different kinds of coffee 
known. in commerce, are varieties of this one species, originally 
brought from Mocha, or, according to Raynal, from the moun- 
