56. Podocarpaceae

I first encountered Podocarpus trees in southern California where they are used a lot for landscaping. Podocarpus is one of nearly twenty genera in the Podocarpaceae family, which overall includes around 150 species. Members of this family are of Antarctic origin and today are found in the south Pacific, Australasia and parts of Africa and South America. For a long time I had imagined Podocarpus trees to be natives of China, when in fact their roots are deep in the southern hemisphere.

I remember riding my bike past a very tall Podocarpus tree in Tustin, CA. I also remember stumbling upon an amazing website called California Big Trees -- californiabigtrees.calpoly.edu -- which is an official register of the largest known specimens of various species within the state. I seem to remember that the Podocarpus I knew from my bike rides was listed as the biggest in the state. That was over ten years ago though, and now I find no record of it. Maybe it was cut down?

55. Poaceae

Poaceae, the grass family, is everywhere and abundant. Anyone who has spent time around lawns, corn fields, wheat fields, rice paddies, or bamboo has personal experience of the grass family. I am not surprised to learn that it is the fifth largest plant family, possessing over ten thousand species. It is also one of the most economically important families, providing food, fuel and building materials to a huge portion of humanity. The largest known grasses are the giant bamboo, a fine example of which is seen below, in Kyoto, Japan (photo by Lisa Nowakowski).

Besides the giant bamboo, I have encountered a few other distinctive species. Arundo donax is invasive in a bamboo-like way, and has been choking Californian waterways such as the Salinas River. The Mediterranean import resembles a cross between corn and bamboo. Fortunately its spread, which would otherwise run amok, has been checked by weed abatement programs. Interestingly, Arundo makes an excellent bio-fuel -- one of the best, according to European Union studies. So, if there is a way of harvesting it while at the same time keep it from spreading, I say go for it.

Another California invasive non-native plant that I frequently encounter is pampas grass, Cortederia jubata. The problem, as is sometimes the case with invasive plants, is that it makes an attractive landscaping feature. This one hails, not surprisingly, from the Pampas, or lowlands of South America. It's a great example of the mind-boggling paradox of plants that are at the same time promoted by nurseries and targeted by pest management efforts.

54. Platanaceae

Also known as the "plane tree" family,  Platanaceae includes some of the most common street trees in the world. American representatives of this one-genus family are called sycamores, two of which are very familiar to me. The American sycamore, Plantanus occidentalis, was just about everywhere in New York where I grew up (above). The layered bark leaves an unmistakable impression. The California sycamore, Platanus racemosa, is essentially the same tree on a much larger scale. The ones in Toro County Park (below) are the largest and most impressive I have ever encountered. Their limbs are lumbering giants, in some cases so heavy that they recline horizontally on the ground.

53. Plantaginaceae

I have had two encounters with species from the Plantaginaceae family -- one on the east coast and one on the west coast. Seen here is a beautiful specimen of Culver's root, Veronicastrum virginicum, that I stumbled upon one summer in New York. Evidently it is very popular with the bees. Culver's root is native to the eastern U.S. and not surprisingly is used there as a garden flower.

The other species was encountered in California. Actually I don't know exactly what species it was, only that it belonged to the genus Hebe, which is named for the Greek goddess of youth. Hebe is native to New Zealand and other areas in the south Pacific. The plant I encountered was an interesting looking shrub with purple flowers.

Since the Plantaginaceae family has around 1700 species it is safe to say that I have barely scratched the surface. Nevertheless, these two plants have left an indelible impression on me.

52. Pittosporaceae

I can't say I ever heard of Pittosporum until I moved to California. Here, a number of shrubs belonging to that genus are commonly used for landscaping. Sometimes they go by the comical name "cheesewood". They are native to much of the tropical world but especially Oceania (a large area that includes Australasia).

While there are nine genera in the Pittosporaceae family, the vast majority of the species, approximately 200, belong to the Pittosporum genus. Some are identifiable by their wavy leaves (such as Pittosporum undulatum); some by their woody capsules (such as Pittosporum tobira).

I have had a meaningful encounter with one other genus, a genus that contains only one species -- Hymenosporum flavum, also known as Sweetshade in its native Australia. There, it is a common street tree, in part because it is considered a "low flammability" plant. Maybe this explains why I encountered one at a shopping center in King City, CA. It has exceptionally striking creamy-yellow flowers that have earned it its other common name, Native Frangipani (although no relation to real Frangipani).

51. Pinaceae

The property I grew up on had rows of hemlock trees, Tsuga canadensis, on either end. These tall trees, over one hundred feet in maturity, were my earliest introduction to pines. Sometimes while reclining on the chaise longue and reading a book a hemlock needle would fall into my tea. Fortunately this is a completely different plant from Poison Hemlock, Conium maculatum, which belongs to the Apiaceae family. For me, the eastern hemlocks I grew up with embody the spirit of that place. They look majestic in any season, but perhaps especially in the snow (above).

A good west coast pine I became acquainted with is the gray pine, Pinus sabiana. While not quite as tall as eastern hemlocks, they produce enormous pine cones the size of mature pineapples (whereas, humorously, the hemlocks produce pine cones the size of small grapes). The other striking features of this tree are the color --  very muted, hence the name -- and the odd angles they grow on slopes and mountains that lend them a sort of oriental air (visible above center and scattered on slopes).