10. Araucariaceae

Araucariaceae is a family of very interesting and exotic-looking trees, my favorite being the monkey puzzle (Araucaria araucana). With a name like that, you know you have entered interesting territory. Despite being so exotic, my first encounter with a monkey puzzle tree was actually on Shelter Island, NY - a far cry from its native Chile. There was also one at Old Westbury Gardens which I only recall from photographs. Both of these New York monkey puzzle trees were small and eventually died, probably because the climate there is not ideal.

Under better conditions araucarians become very tall, as much as 200 feet. They are also very ancient trees, coexisting with the dinosaurs. In those days they grew throughout the world, but in our times they are native to the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand's kauri tree (Agathis australis) is among the largest conifers, surpassed only by the redwood and giant sequoia.

When I lived in southern California, I was surrounded by more araucarians than I have ever seen. In addition to monkey puzzles, I noticed lots of Norfolk Island Pines (Araucaria heterophylla), with its distinctly geometric structure. The above tree, photographed while on a bike ride in Tustin, CA, is either a monkey puzzle or bunya-bunya (Araucaria bidwillii) or some other closely related species. At the moment it's above my paygrade to tell them apart, but if someone would like to step forward and train me, I'm not stopping them.

9. Araceae

 

I have a few great childhood memories of trudging through Shu Swamp Nature Preserve in Mill Neck, NY. It was there that I first encountered skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), the name, idea and smell of which is impossible to forget. Without knowing it, that may have been my introduction to the Araceae or arum family.

On the other hand, it may have been the better-known calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica, seen above), which is technically not a lily, but has been made famous by painters like Georgia O'Keefe and Diego Rivera. My introduction to the arum family may have come from one of those paintings. The calla lily is native to Africa but has become associated with Mexican culture. The genus Zantedeschia is named for the Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi.

Less likely, but still possible, was an encounter with a Philodendron in, say, the lobby of a Florida hotel. Of course, I would have been too young to process a word like Philodendron, which is as massive and sprawling as the leaves of the plant itself.

8. Apocynaceae

 

The common name for this family is "dogbane", which - in addition to being one of the 424 genera within the family - is a great word. Some members are grown as ornamentals, such as Vinca minor (periwinkle) and Mandevilla (above, named for British diplomat Henry Mandeville). Some members are poisonous, such as Nerium oleander (oleander). Many have a milky sap, the best known being milkweed.

Milkweed used to have its own family, Asclepiadaceae, but has since been merged with the Apocynaceae. Milkweeds are a critical food source for insects, notably the monarch butterfly.

(Photo taken at Old Westbury Gardens, NY)

7. Anacardiaceae

Also known as the cashew or sumac family, the Anacardiaceae encompass a spectacular variety of well-known members including mangoes, cashews, pistachios, poison ivy, poison oak, and the Californian pepper tree, Schinus molle, seen above. This particular pepper tree, alive and well despite its prostrate position, is possibly the largest I have ever encountered. Appropriately it is found at the Pepper Tree Retreat in Ojai, CA (formerly the home of philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti).

My first experience of the Anacardiaceae family was very direct, in the form of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) blisters. Later, on the west coast, I learned that the effects of poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) are very similar.

It is always interesting to me when the same family includes delicious foods AND toxic substances. There are other good examples of that coming up. Meanwhile, the next time you get poison ivy blisters, remember that its cousin is a sweet mango.

6. Amaryllidaceae

The Agapanthus flowers seen above (Agapanthus africanus) are a ubiquitous feature of California landscaping. Like ice plant, they are a South African import, sometimes going by the name "African lily". Amaryllidaceae is commonly known as the amaryllis family, after the genus of ornamental, flowering bulbs, but its most famous member is undoubtedly the onion, which is also sometimes grown as an ornamental (as in the flowering Allium seen below). The second most famous member, garlic, belongs to the same genus.

5. Amaranthaceae

This is a commercially important family, especially now with the surging popularity of quinoa - Chenopodium quinoa. Prior to this current surge, my brother Paul once presented me with a grain called "amaranth" that is supposed to be very healthy. That may be true, but the cereal itself was quite bland. 

My introduction to the plants of this family occurred in the Salinas Valley. I was driving through the city of Greenfield and was struck by some very exotic-looking plants that I later learned go by the name "love-lies-bleeding".  This was Amaranthus caudatus, grown for food in South America, and also making a striking garden ornamental. 

Another, very different member of this family is present in the Salinas Valley: Kali tragus, a.k.a. "Russian thistle" or simply, tumbleweed. These comically large spheres bounce down streets spreading their seed, and then pile up in huge masses against a wall or fence.

The family formerly known as Chenopodiaceae - the goosefoot family - is now a subfamily of the Amaranthaceae.

4. Altingiaceae

 

One tree that goes all the way back to my childhood in New York is sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua. I seem to remember my mother hosting a nature walk and showing a group of us children the spiky pods. I've always known them by the common name, "sweetgum". They are among the most common street trees and - as far as I know - the best known representative of the family Altingiaceae. 

Interestingly, the branches of the sweetgum are sometimes "winged" like euonymous (as the one seen above, photographed in Louisiana).

3. Aizoaceae

Another plant that struck me upon moving to California was the ubiquitous ice plant, Carpobrotus edulis. This native of South Africa was adopted by the California Department of Transportation to stabilize soil along highways, and for this reason it is also known as "highway ice plant". So widespread that it is now considered a pest, the California Invasive Plant Council  (Cal-IPC) is now promoting the less invasive hardy ice plant (Delosperma cooperi, seen above) as an alternative.

2. Adoxaceae

When I first moved to California's Central Coast, the blooms of wild elderberry trees - seen along roads and in thickets (above) - caught my attention. Those trees were Sambucus mexicana. They used to belong to the Caprifoliaceae or Honeysuckle family, but were moved to the Adoxaceae by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). The better-known Sambucus nigra is the species used by herbalists to treat coughs and colds. I love saying the word "Sambucus", which to me has a musical ring, and conjures up images of coffee and bongo drums (don't ask me why).