Osage orange? BTW, read about your injury. Need surgery?

There are lots of monotypic genera. This is a good place to start: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Monotypic_plant_genera

I won't know if I need surgery until tomorrow after getting an MRI and seeing an orthopedic specialist. The ER doctor said surgery may be in the cards, but nothing has been decided. All I know is I'm already tired of wearing a boot. This is my second favorite season to be in the garden (after spring) and it's a bit depressing.

I should've stated I'm most interested in why some genera stand alone as a single species, while others have hundreds of species. What are the drivers of this evolutionary outcome?

This thread gives me a chance to show off the last flowers of this year's Franklin Tree which fits the category. Others that come to mind are:

-Chamaedaphne sp. evergreen, bog shrub.

-Nemopanthus sp. Mt holly, I saw them in the hills of W. Va.

-Zenobia sp. heath family member found in NC's outter banks

Someone more into conifers than me should come up with at least 6 native to Asia that fit the category.

Well, Sciadopitys verticillata used to have a genus unto itself, now it has an entire family (Sciadopityaceae).

tj

Somebody tell @maackia that this is NOT a competition...but Mrs. VV is doing better.

Ginkgo, Sciadopitys, Heptacodium, Eucommia, and Franklinia all have homes at the Valley.

Happy to hear M is on the mend. When it comes to injuring ones self through misguided adventure, it it’s tough to compete with me. This time it was pickle ball. I got caught up in the hoopla and gave it a try. Big mistake.

I also have a Heptacodium in the garden, so that makes three for me. However, it’s not nearly as nice as Dave’s. It’s only been in the ground a few years, so maybe it will get there.

I’ve tried Sciadopitys, but it failed to make it through winter. Never tried either Franklinia or Eucommia, but the latter might be worth trying in z4. Does it make for a nice specimen?