Explain the History of Plant Classification?

Before Darwin's theory of evolution and publication of his epoch making work 'Origin of Species' in 1959 no outstanding basis for the classification of plants was used. Therefore, the history of evolution of plant classification can broadly be divided into two eras, the pre-evolutionary and post-evolutionary era. The pre-evolutionary era can further be subdivided into four important periods for the sake of convenience and better understanding.

1. The Ancient Greeks and Romans
2. The Herbalists
3. The Transition Period and
4. The Post-Herbal Period

In the present unit we shall tell you briefly about some ancient Greek and Roman naturalists and scholars who made important contributions to plant sciences in general and plant classification in particular in their own classical way. They made observations on living organisms and classified them. The period of those classic ancient Greeks and Romans culminated into a period of' descriptive botany when several important herbals were written by several celebrated physicians, naturalists and other scholars. It was a significant departure from the earlier works which were written for utilitarian reasons only and had little academic importance. You will learn about those herbalists of the middle Ages and their work also in this unit.