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).