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.