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Rubia is the type genus of the Rubiaceae family of , which also contains Coffea (coffee). It contains around 80 species of perennial scrambling or climbing and native to the Old World.
The genus and its best-known species are commonly known as madder, e.g. Rubia tinctorum (common madder), Rubia peregrina (wild madder), and Rubia cordifolia (Indian madder).
The plant's roots contain an anthracene compound called alizarin that gives its red colour to a textile dye known as Rose madder. It was also used as a colourant, especially for paint, that is referred to as Madder lake. The synthesis of alizarin greatly reduced demand for the natural compound.
In Georgia and Armenia, Rubia is used for dying Easter eggs red.
Madder was employed medicinally in ancient civilizations and in the Middle Ages. In his Natural History, Pliny described it as a diuretic and is capable of treating jaundice and lichen planus. John Gerard, in 1597, wrote of it as having been cultivated in many gardens in his day, and describes its many supposed virtues, Herball, p. 960 but any Pharmacology or Therapy action which madder may possess is unrecognizable. Its most remarkable Physiology effect was found to be that of colouring red the of animals fed upon it, as also the and of birds. This appears to be due to the chemical affinity of calcium phosphate for the colouring matter.Pereira, Mat. Med., vol. ii. pt. 2, p. 52 This property was used to enable physiologists to ascertain the manner in which bones develop, and the functions of the various types of cell found in growing bone.
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