Who is known as the founder of botany?
The ancient Greek Theophrastus, who lived from around 372 B.C. to around 287 B.C., is known as the founder of botany (the science and study of plants). His two large botanical works, On the History of Plants and On the Causes of Plants, were so complete and insightful that it wasn’t until 1,800 years later that new discoveries in botany were made. Theophrastus, who was also a philosopher, integrated the practice of agriculture into botany. He also developed a theory of plant growth and an analysis of plant structure. Theophrastus identified, classified, and described 550 species of plants and was the first to explore the connection between plants and their natural environment. Sources: Barnes-Svarney, Patricia. The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference, p. 140; Downs, Robert B. Landmarks in Science: Hippocrates to Carson, pp. 30-33;…
