47. Oleaceae

The star of the Oleaceae family is of course the olive -- Olea europaea -- one of the oldest crops of Mediterranean civilization. They were brought to California in the 18th century by the Spanish padres, as this sign at Mission San Antonio explains. This beautiful specimen is thought to have been planted "about 1836". There are many, many varieties of olives and this one, curiously, cannot not be matched with any present day European variety.

An interesting member of this family that I encountered in California is Ligustrum lucidum -- also known as tree privet or glossy privet. My first impression was that it was some sort of Ficus, with glossy leaves and bony, reptilian bark. It also has white flowers in dense clusters that become dark blue, bird-friendly berries. When I think of privet, I think of the hedges I grew up around back east -- Ligustrum vulgare, which comes from Europe. Ligustrum lucidum on the other hand comes from Asia, and has spread itself fast enough to be considered invasive. And while the two plants seem very different, they are in fact both privet.

Also in the olive family is the familiar lilac -- Syringa vulgaris -- seen below. These famous ornamental plants have stalked me on both coasts.

46. Nyctaginaceae

This family, the Nyctaginaceae, takes me back to a particular period of my life when I lived in a little house that came with a little landscaping. Included in that landscaping was a bougainvillea growing on the side of the house in a flower bed that was also full of four o'clock flowers. Both plants belong to this family.

Bougainvillea is a genus from tropical America, named after the explorer Bougainville, who circumnavigated the globe with the botanist Commerson, who did the naming. What I will always remember about this plant is that, more than any other in memory, it benefited from my adding coffee grounds to the soil. Evidently the pH was off and the coffee grounds increased the soil's acidity enough to meet the bougainvillea's needs.

Four o'clock flower --  Mirabilis jalapa  -- also comes from tropical America. It has an overall pleasing structure that is very similar to tobacco plants. Are they related? According to Davis Wiki  yes, because the Nyctaginaceae IS the tobacco family. Whereas according to Wikipedia the Nicotiana genus, from which all tobacco comes, is part of the Solanaceae family. I need someone to clear this up for me, because further research is thus far getting me nowhere.

Four o'clock flowers get their name from the behavior of opening in the late afternoon and closing by morning. They self-propagate easily by spreading an abundance of seeds. Not only do the trumpet-shaped flowers come in different colors, but some varieties have multiple colors, and some even change colors over the course of their lifetime.

45. Myrtaceae

I will always associate this family -- sometimes called the myrtle family -- with Australia, where so many of its species come from. While I have never been 'down under', many of its plants have thankfully graced the shores of California, giving those of us stateside a chance to enjoy their quirky beauty. Above all, towering eucalyptus trees (above) make an unforgettable impression, for their height (among the world's tallest), their shagginess (witness the shedding bark), and their nasal passage-clearing fragrance, especially after a good rain. Among the prevalent species are blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus), silver dollar (Eucalyptus polyanthemos), and red ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon).

Above and below: bottlebrushes (Callistemon) at the entrance of San Lorenzo Park in King City, where I was first introduced to them. The name is self-explanatory.

Below, one of the red flowering gum trees (Corymbia ficifolia) of Pacific Grove that I had pondered for years before learning exactly what they were. A striking tree, both up close and from a distance.

Other unforgettable species are the cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia) -- striking for its thick, spongy bark resembling reams of slightly crumpled paper -- and the pineapple guava (Feijoas sellowiana), a widespread ornamental shrub related to common guava (Psidium guajava).