Botany originated in prehistory as herbalism with the efforts of early humans to identify – and later cultivate – edible, medicinal and poisonous plants, making it one of the oldest branches of science. Medieval physic gardens, often attached to monasteries, contained plants of medical importance. They were forerunners of the first botanical gardens attached to universities, founded from the 1540s onwards. One of the earliest was the Padua botanical garden. These gardens facilitated the academic study of plants. Efforts to catalogue and describe their collections were the beginnings of plant taxonomy, and led in 1753 to the binomial system of Carl Linnaeus that remains in use to this day. COUNT 5
QSN1 What science led to botany? ANS1 herbalism QSN2 What kind of plants did monasteries cultivate? ANS2 plants of medical importance QSN3 When did universities start growing gardens? ANS3 1540s onwards QSN4 Why did universities have these gardens? ANS4 facilitated the academic study of plants QSN5 Why was plant taxonomy developed? ANS5 to catalogue and describe their collections