n. A widely distributed natural family of mostly tropical trees and shrubs and herbs including coffee; chinchona; gardenia; madder; bedstraws; nd partridgeberry. Rubiaceae, family Rubiaceae, madder family -- [ WordNet 1.5 ]
(n) widely distributed family of mostly tropical trees and shrubs and herbs; includes coffee and chinchona and gardenia and madder and bedstraws and partridgeberry, Syn. family Rubiaceae, madder family