Madder is native to the Mediterranean and was once widely grown as a dye plant. The generic name, Rubia means red and the plant has been used as a source of a permanent red dye. The 2–3-year old rootstock of the plants is used medicinally, which remains red when dried. The constituents include anthraquinone glycosides which are two red chemical entities derived from the roots and tubers, which are known as alizarin and purpurin.