37. Lamiaceae

It's hard to argue with the mint family, Lamiaceae, which has brought us a smorgasbord of delightfully fragrant herbs, including spearmint, peppermint, basil, lavender, oregano, sage, rosemary, and thyme (but not parsley). The extent to how much this family has worked its way into our everyday lives is astonishing.

This is a good sized family with more than 230 genera and 7000 species. Apparently it is closely related to the verbena family, Verbenaceae, which is also known for its aromatic members, many of which are now considered part of the mint family.

I must admit that the more I look into this family, the more overwhelming I find it. I will mention a couple of species I've encountered over the years. Marrubium vulgare, commonly known as horehound,  is native to the Old World and considered a weed in California. Since Roman times it has been used by herbalists as a respiratory remedy. Callicarpa americana, pictured above, is native to the southeast U.S. and also known as American beautyberry. It was brought to my attention by my associate in Louisiana. Apparently the berries can be eaten, whereas other parts of the plant make an effective mosquito repellent.