lucabrasi

I got the incredibly nerdy idea to make a list of the plants I have in my vegetable garden by family. It's interesting to see where plants lie relative to each other. You start to develop a feel for families, too. Last week, based on flower/leaf structure, as well as some internal gestalt, correctly surmised that a plant was in the pea family. (It turned out to be french broom, a very beautiful and very invasive species in our parts) Here's a modified list of economic plants--not all of which are in my garden--and corresponding facticitos about the families:

Grass Family (Poaceae):
Wheat
Rye
Corn
Rice

All grasses have nodes. If it doesn't have a node, it's not a grass. So goes the saying "Sedges have sides, rushes are round, grasses have nodes and willows abound."

Nightshade Family (Solanaceae):
Tomato
Pepper
Potato
Eggplant

This family originates mostly (entirely?) from South America. Tomatos and peppers both struggled to gain acceptance in the old world based on their similarity to deadly nightshade. As it turns out, anything exposed to light( that is to say, anything green) on a potato plant is in fact toxic.

Rose Family (Rosaceae):
Roses
Strawberries
Apples
Pears

Yes, an apple is a rose. The roses you see today are what happens when the english get ahold of a plant.

Legume/Pea family (Fabaceae):
Peas
Beans
Clovers
Lupine

Legumes have a symbiotic relationship with fungus that allows them to have an infinite source of nitrogen. You'll never have to give your bean plants nitrogen. The fungi fix nitrogen from the atmosphere (for those of you that took HS chemistry, you know this is hard work with triple bonds and all) and, in exchange for their efforts, the plant donates a tiny bit of sugar.

Mint family (Lamiaceae):
Mint
Rosemary
Thyme
Oregano
Basil
Sage

The plants in the mint family have four sides. This is more obvious with some than others.

Cashew Family (Anacardiaceae):
Cashews
Pistachios
Mangos
Poison Oak/Ivy/Sumac

All members of this family produce some urushiol, the oil that causes irritation in poison ivy. Some people are allergic to cashews and mangos for the same reason.

There's more... but I'd be impressed if anyone paid attention this far