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Rubiales
Year 2025, Issue 4, Article 1EditorialAuthor: Jan Scholten
Editorial 2025.04: RubialesThis edition of the Qjure Journal is about Rubiales.
The classification of the Rubiales has been difficult. The main family is the Rubiaceae, a very big family. It has 14,200 species in about 615 genera, which makes it the fourth-largest angiosperm family by number of species.
In the Apg classifications Rubiaceae is placed in Gentianales, which is in Phase 2. But Rubiaceae remedies show a strong aspect of Phase 4. In older classification like the ones of Cronquist, Bentham, Bessey, Hutchinson and Wettstein Rubiaceae was placed in its own order Rubiales. Interestingly, the above classifications often included families from the Dipsacales.
In the plant theory Rubiaceae is placed in Phase 4. The next problem was the differentiation of the subfamilies and where to place them in the subphases. The main and obvious subfamilies of the Rubiaceae are the Ixoroideae with Coffea in it and the Cinchonoideae with Cinchona in it. They are placed in Subphase 5 and Subphase 4 respectively. It took a few years to get more clarity about the Subphase 1, 2 and 3. The subfamily Psychotrioideae is now placed in Subpahse 3 , with good confirmation of cases. An example is the Palicourea padifolia cases in this edition. Spermacocoideae is placed in Subphase 2 and Rubioideae in Subphase 1.
Another problem was the Oleaceae. This family has a strong Phase 4 quality, and a Phase 6 quality, as cases had shown. In the Apg classifications though, Oleaceae is placed in the Lamiales, which have a Phase 5 quality.
The placement of Oleaceae in Rubiales is quite different from the Apg placement in Lamiales. But is is confirmed very well, as we can see in the cases in this edition. Because of its Phase 6 quality it is placed in Subphase 6.
The last problem was Subphase 7. For many years there was no clear idea what could be placed there. The change came from a proving of an Ipomoea, which indicated Phase 4 and Phase 7. This lead to the idea that Convolvulaceae might be fitting in that last Subphase 7, with as remedy code: 3-665.47.00. This turned out to work very well in cases. A good example is the case in this edition of Ipomoea alba. It is striking that in the Golberg classification Rubiaceae and Convolvulaceae are placed together, in the Gentianales.We wish you much reading pleasure,Jan Scholten
The classification of the Rubiales has been difficult. The main family is the Rubiaceae, a very big family. It has 14,200 species in about 615 genera, which makes it the fourth-largest angiosperm family by number of species.
In the Apg classifications Rubiaceae is placed in Gentianales, which is in Phase 2. But Rubiaceae remedies show a strong aspect of Phase 4. In older classification like the ones of Cronquist, Bentham, Bessey, Hutchinson and Wettstein Rubiaceae was placed in its own order Rubiales. Interestingly, the above classifications often included families from the Dipsacales.
In the plant theory Rubiaceae is placed in Phase 4. The next problem was the differentiation of the subfamilies and where to place them in the subphases. The main and obvious subfamilies of the Rubiaceae are the Ixoroideae with Coffea in it and the Cinchonoideae with Cinchona in it. They are placed in Subphase 5 and Subphase 4 respectively. It took a few years to get more clarity about the Subphase 1, 2 and 3. The subfamily Psychotrioideae is now placed in Subpahse 3 , with good confirmation of cases. An example is the Palicourea padifolia cases in this edition. Spermacocoideae is placed in Subphase 2 and Rubioideae in Subphase 1.
Another problem was the Oleaceae. This family has a strong Phase 4 quality, and a Phase 6 quality, as cases had shown. In the Apg classifications though, Oleaceae is placed in the Lamiales, which have a Phase 5 quality.
The placement of Oleaceae in Rubiales is quite different from the Apg placement in Lamiales. But is is confirmed very well, as we can see in the cases in this edition. Because of its Phase 6 quality it is placed in Subphase 6.
The last problem was Subphase 7. For many years there was no clear idea what could be placed there. The change came from a proving of an Ipomoea, which indicated Phase 4 and Phase 7. This lead to the idea that Convolvulaceae might be fitting in that last Subphase 7, with as remedy code: 3-665.47.00. This turned out to work very well in cases. A good example is the case in this edition of Ipomoea alba. It is striking that in the Golberg classification Rubiaceae and Convolvulaceae are placed together, in the Gentianales.We wish you much reading pleasure,Jan Scholten