Question

Who is known as the Father of Botany?
a. Aristotle
b. Linnaeus
c. Theophrastus
d. Darwin

Answer 1

Hint: Theophrastus described and named 500 plants and published his work in ‘Historia Plantarum “, known as the oldest botanical work in existence.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Theophrastus was a Greek naturalist and pupil of Plato and Aristotle. He is often considered as the “Father of Botany” for his work on plants. Theophrastus detected the process of germination and realised the importance of climate and soil to plants. He classified the plants into four groups - Herbs, Undershrubs, shrubs and trees. Some of his contributions were:-
1. Fundamental differences between Dicotyledons and monocotyledons
2. Difference between the centripetal and centrifugal type of inflorescences
3. Difference between superior and inferior ovary etc.

Aristotle was the first person to study biology systematically, and biology forms a large part of his writings. Aristotle distinguished about 500 species of animals, arranging these in the “History of Animals” in a graded scale of perfection, with a man on the top.

Linnaeus was a Swedish Naturalist. He is also known as the father of Taxonomy. The Linnaeus system of classification is an artificial system of classification. Based on the number, size, length and union of stamens, he classified the plant kingdom into 24 classes.

Darwin was the greatest biologist in history. His work on Origin of Species, explains the theory of evolution of organisms.by natural selection. This theory is also called a Darwinism theory. The Theory of Evolution and Natural Selection is one of the best evidence in the history of science.


Note: Theophrastus sought to create an over-arching scientific classification of plants. In his Historia Plantarum Theophrastus began with the classification of trees, shrubs, undershrubs and herbs and continued to discuss domesticated trees, wild trees and shrubs and herbaceous plants – in that order. De causis Plantarum shifted the focus to matters of generation.