| Noun | 1. | Rubia - type genus of the Rubiaceae; Old World herbs and subshrubs grown for their medicinal properties and for dye substances extracted from their rootsasterid dicot genus - genus of more or less advanced dicotyledonous herbs and some trees and shrubs family Rubiaceae, madder family, Rubiaceae - widely distributed family of mostly tropical trees and shrubs and herbs; includes coffee and chinchona and gardenia and madder and bedstraws and partridgeberry | |