The Origins of Botany
Overview
Botany, the study of plants, developed as a science in ancient Greece, with Theophrastus (c. 371-287 B.C.) considered the father of botanical science. But a practical interest in plants extended far back before recorded times, because plants were not only a source of food but also of medicines. With the dawn of agriculture, interest in plant growth became more focused, as better methods for cultivating crops and protecting them from weather and pest damage were developed. Also, in many ancient civilizations, including those in China, Egypt, Babylonia, and Greece, sophisticated medical practices developed in which plant materials were important medicinals. What Theophrastus brought to such practical interests in plants was an inquiry that was more theoretical. After Theophrastus, botanical science progressed very little until the rediscovery of his writings in the fifteenth century, just as the Renaissance was beginning.
Background
Close observation is an important key to learning about nature for both practical and theoretical reasons, though most early interest in plant growth was clearly practical. It was related to finding and encouraging the growth of plants that were good sources of foods, medicines, building materials, and other products. Agriculture, which is the systematic growth of plants as opposed to just harvesting plant materials that happen to be available, is thought to have originated in western Asia at least 10,000 years ago.
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