The document outlines the three main eras of plant classification: the ancient era, based on gross morphology and initiated by Theophrastus; the modern era, marked by the work of Linnaeus and focused on artificial classification; and the current era, starting with Cronquist and centered on phylogenetic classification. Key figures in plant taxonomy, such as Theophrastus, Gaspard Bauhin, and Jean Bauhin, are highlighted for their significant contributions, including classification systems and the publication of influential botanical works. The document emphasizes the evolution of plant classification from early morphological observations to more advanced phylogenetic approaches.

1. SYSTEM OF
CLASSIFICATION

2. ERA’S OF PLANT CLASSIFICATION
There are 3 main era’s of plant classification :-
1. Ancient Era : This era starts with Theophratus (370-285 B.C.) and ends with Cesalpino.
 Classification based on gross morphology.
2. Modern Era : This era starts with Carolus Linnaeus and ends with Hutchinson.
 The main taxonomist are Bentham & Hooker and Engler & Prantl.
 This era is based on artificial classification.
3. Current Era : This era begins with Cronquist.
 This era based on phylogenetic classification.

3. THEOPHRASTUS (370-
285 B.C.)
 Greek naturalist
 A pupil of Plato and Aristotle,
who became head of the Lyceum
in Athens
 His original was Tyrtamus, but
later Aristotle named him as
‘Theophrastus’
 Father of Botany

4. MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS
 He is credited with having authored more than 200 works.
 He described about 500 kinds of plants, classified into four major groups :
the trees, shrubs, subshrubs and herbs.
 He recognized the differences between flowering plants and non –
flowering plants, superior ovary and inferior ovary, free and fused petals and
also fruit types.
 Two of his botanical works have survived intact, available in English are :-
1. Enquiry into plants (1916)
2. The Causes of plants (1927)

5. GASPARDBAUHIN (1560-
1624)
 Also known as Caspar Bauhin –
Legislateur en botanique
 Swiss botanist
 Born at Basel in 1580
 Studied medicine at Padua,
Montpellier and in Germany.
 Appointed to Greek professorship,
to the chair of anatomy and botany.

6. MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS
 He formed a herbarium of 4000 specimens.
 He published Phytopinax (1596), Prodromus theatri botanici (1602) and
lastly, Pinax theatri botanici (1623), containing 6000 species of plants giving
synonyms and introducing the binomial nomenclature for several species.
 He sought to clarify in a single publication the confusion regarding
multiplicity of names for all species known at that time.
 Although he did not describe genera, and did not recognize difference
between species and genera.

7. JEANBAUHIN(1541-1613)
 Also named as Johann Bauhin
 French and Swiss physician
 Born at Basel on 12
December,1541
 Studied botany in Tübingen
 Elected professor of Rhetoric.

8. MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS
 He compiled a description of 5000 plants with more than 3500 figures, a work
published under the name Historia plantarum universalis in 1650-51 in 3
volumes, several years after his death.
 He nurtured several botanic gardens and also collected plants during his
travels.
 In 1591, he published a list of plants named after saints called De Plantis a
Divis Sanctisve Nomen Habentibus.
 Linnaeus named the genus Bauhinia (family Caesalpiniaceae) for brothers.

9. THANK YOU