Plants and Science

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Europeans travelled further afield than ever before, and returned with exotic plants that were cultivated and studied in botanical gardens. The invention of printing made it easier to disseminate knowledge. Publications on this subject included the ‘Herbals’, by Rembert Dodoens and Carolus Clusius. Dutch botanists were able to identify more and more species, and brought plants back to Europe from Southeast Asia, Brazil and Suriname. This led to increased demand for improved classification and illustrations. With the arrival of new printing and illustration techniques such as lithography, photography and nature printing, the 19th and 20th centuries saw the publication of more local and national floras as well as detailed descriptions and catalogues of plant varieties.