Rubiaceae
Background
An active and clearly defined Rubiaceae research programme started at Kew in 1972 with the start of the Flora of Tropical East Africa (FTEA) treatment for the family. Rubiaceae for FTEA was completed 1991, with 109 genera and 756 species. The Rubiaceae for Flora Zambesiaca (FZ) started in 1980 and was completed in 2003. Rubiaceae for FZ is in three parts and comprises 80 genera and 480 species. Prior to these works, there had been virtually no revision or monographic work done on African Rubiaceae since the Flora of Tropical Africa (1877). Most of the supporting papers for FTEA and FZ encompass taxa from the whole of Africa, and include numerous generic revisions. FTEA tribal and generic concepts have gained acceptance as far afield as India and the Pacific. The infrafamilial classification presented in the Floras is based on Verdcourt’s classification system (1958) but with appropriate revision and notes on current systematic opinion. Kew made a major contribution to the Rubiaceae account for the Flore des Mascareignes, which was completed in 1989 (30 genera and 88 species). The Rubiaceae of Madagascar project (1997 to 2000) produced a regional monograph of coffee (c. 50 spp.), a synopsis of Madagascan genera (c. 90 genera), a comprehensive specimen database, and a species checklist (662 spp.).