Branches of botany

Subdisciplines of botany

Botany is a natural science concerned with the study of plants.The main branches of botany (also referred to as "plant science") are commonly divided into three groups: core topics, concerned with the study of the fundamental natural phenomena and processes of plant life, the classification and description of plant diversity; applied topics which study the ways in which plants may be used for economic benefit in horticulture, agriculture and forestry; and organismic topics which focus on plant groups such as algae, mosses or flowering plants.

Core topics

Cytology – cell structure
Epigenetics – Control of gene expression
Paleobotany – Study of fossil plants and plant evolution
Palynology – Pollen and spores
Plant biochemistry – Chemical processes of primary and secondary metabolism
Phenology – the timing of germination, flowering and fruiting
Phytochemistry – Plant secondary chemistry and chemical processes
Phytogeography – Plant Biogeography, the study of plant distributions
Phytosociology – Plant communities and interactions
Plant anatomy – Structure of plant cells and tissues
Plant ecology – Role and function of plants in the environment
Plant evolutionary developmental biology – Plant development from an evolutionary perspective
Plant genetics – Genetic inheritance in plants
Plant morphology – Structure of plants
Plant physiology – Life functions of plants
Plant reproduction – Processes of plant reproduction
Plant systematics – Classification and naming of plants
Plant taxonomy – Classification and naming of plants

Applied topics

Agronomy – Application of plant science to crop production
Arboriculture – Culture and propagation of trees
Astrobotany - The study of plants in space
Biotechnology – Use of plants to synthesize products
Dendrology – Study of woody plants, shrubs, trees and lianas
Economic botany – Study of plants of economic use or value
Ethnobotany – Plants and people. Use and selection of plants by humans
Forestry – Forest management and related studies
Horticulture – cultivation of garden plants
Marine botany – Study of aquatic plants and algae that live in seawater
Micropropagation – rapid propagation of plants using cell and tissue culture
Pharming (genetics) – Genetic engineering of plants to produce pharmaceuticals
Plant breeding – Breeding of plants with desirable genetic characters
Plant pathology (Phytopathology) – Plant diseases
Plant propagation – propagation of plants from seed, bulbs, tubers, cuttings and grafting
Pomology – Fruit and nuts
Seed technology - Seed technology is the science dealing with the methods of improving physical and genetical characteristics of seed.

Organismal topics

Acanthochronology – Cacti
Agrostology – Grasses
Batology – Brambles
Bryology^[1] – Mosses, liverworts, and hornworts
Citrology - Citruses
Dendrology – Trees
Lichenology – Lichens
Mycology, or fungology – Fungi
Orchidology – Orchids
Phycology,^[2] or algology – Algae
Pteridology – Ferns and their allies
Synantherology – Compositae

References

^ "British Bryological Society". Archived from the original on 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
^ Harvey, William Henry. 1849. A Manual of the British Marine Algae... John van Voorst, London

Biology

Overview	Science Life Properties (Adaptation, Energy processing, Growth, Order, Regulation, Reproduction, Response to environment) Hierarchy of life (Atom > Molecule > Organelle > Cell > Tissue > Organ > Organ system > Organism > Population > Community > Ecosystem > Biosphere) Reductionistic Emergent property Mechanistic Scientific method Theory Law Peer review Biology journals
Chemical basis	Atoms Amino acids Carbohydrates Chemical bond Chemical element Lipids Matter Quantum Molecules Monomer Nucleic acids Organic compounds pH Polymer Proteins Water
Cells	ATP Cell cycle Cell theory Cell signaling Cellular respiration Energy transformation Enzyme Eukaryote Fermentation Metabolism Meiosis Mitosis Photosynthesis Prokaryote
Genetics	DNA Epigenetics Evolutionary developmental biology Gene expression Gene regulation Genomes Mendelian inheritance Post-transcriptional modification
Evolution	Adaptation Earliest known life forms Function Genetic drift Gene flow History of life Macroevolution Microevolution Mutation Natural selection Phylogenetics Speciation Taxonomy
Diversity	Archaea Bacteria Eukaryote Alga Animal Fungus Plant Protist Virus
Plant form and function	Epidermis (botany) Flower Ground tissue Leaf Phloem Plant stem Root Shoot Vascular plant Vascular tissue Xylem
Animal form and function	Breathing Circulatory system Endocrine system Digestive system Homeostasis Immune system Internal environment Muscular system Nervous system Reproductive system Respiratory system
Ecology	Biogeochemical cycle Biological interaction Biomass Biomes Biosphere Climate Climate change Community Conservation Ecosystem Habitat niche Microbiome Population dynamics Resources

Research
methods

Laboratory techniques	Genetic engineering Transformation Gel electrophoresis Chromatography Centrifugation Cell culture DNA sequencing DNA microarray Green fluorescent protein vector Enzyme assay Protein purification Western blot Northern blot Southern blot Restriction enzyme Polymerase chain reaction Two-hybrid screening in vivo in vitro in silico
Field techniques	Belt transect mark and recapture species discovery curve

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Glossaries

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Botany

Subdisciplines

Plant groups

Plant anatomy

Plant morphology
(glossary)

Plant cells	Cell wall Phragmoplast Plastid Plasmodesma Vacuole
Tissues	Cork Ground tissue Mesophyll Meristem Storage organs Vascular tissue Vascular bundle Wood
Vegetative	Bulb Root Rhizoid Rhizome Shoot Bud Leaf Cataphyll Petiole Sessility Stem
Reproductive (incl. Flower)	Archegonium Antheridium Androecium Pollen Stamen Staminode Tapetum Flower Aestivation Flower development Floral diagram Floral formula Floral symmetry Whorl Fruit Anatomy Berry Capsule Nut Pyrena Seed Dispersal Endosperm Gametophyte Gynandrium Gynoecium Ovary Locule Ovule Stigma Hypanthium (Floral cup) Inflorescence Bract Pedicellate Raceme Umbel Perianth Tepal Petal Sepal Plant embryo Receptacle Sporophyll Sporophyte
Surface structures	Cuticle Epicuticular wax Epidermis Nectar Stoma Thorns, spines, and prickles Trichome

Plant physiology
Materials

Plant growth
and habit

Habit
- Cushion plants
- Rosettes
- Shrubs
  - Prostrate shrubs
  - Subshrubs
- Succulent plants
- Trees
- Vines
  - Lianas
Herbaceous plants
Secondary growth
Woody plants

Reproduction

Plant taxonomy

Biological classification
Botanical nomenclature
- Botanical name
- Correct name
- Author citation
- International Code of Nomenclature (ICN)
- ICN for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP)
Cultivated plant taxonomy
- Citrus taxonomy
- Cultigen
  - Cultivar
  - Group
  - Grex
History of plant systematics
Herbarium
International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT)
Plant taxonomy systems
Taxonomic rank

Practice

Lists
Related topics

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v t e History of botany
Fields and disciplines	Agriculture Biogeography Bryology Cladistics Comparative anatomy Cytology Economic botany Ethnobotany Floristics Forestry Genetic engineering Horticulture Lichenology Molecular phylogenetics Mycology Natural history Numerical taxonomy Paleobotany Palynology Phycology Phytochemistry Phytogeography Plant anatomy Plant ecology Plant genetics Plant morphology Plant pathology Plant physiology Pteridology
Institutions	Jardin des Plantes Natural History Museum, London Orto botanico di Padova Orto botanico di Pisa Rothamsted Research Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Publications	Historia Plantarum and Causes of Plants of Theophrastus c. 300 BC De Plantis of Nicolaus of Damascus c. 1st-century BC De Materia Medica of Dioscorides c. 60 AD Naturalis Historia 77–79 AD De Vegetabilibus of Albertus Magnus c. 1256 Herbarum Vivae Icones 1530 Libellus De Re Herbaria Novus 1538 Kreütterbuch of Hieronymus Bock 1539 De plantis libri XVI of Caesalpino 1583 Stirpium Historiae 1583 Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes 1597 Prodromus Theatrici Botanici 1620 Pinax theatri botanici 1623 Anatome Plantarum 1675 Anatomy of Plants 1682 Historia Plantarum of John Ray 1686–1704 De Sexu Plantarum Epistola 1694 Éléments de botanique 1694 Vegetable Staticks 1727 Systema Naturae 1735 Genera Plantarum 1737 Philosophia Botanica 1751 Species Plantarum 1753 Systema Naturae, 10th ed. 1758–9 Familles des Plantes 1763–4 Experiments Upon Vegetables 1779 Die Metamorphose der Pflantzen 1790 Traité d'Anatomie et de Physiologie Végétale 1802 Recherches Chimiques sur la Végétation 1804 Beyträge zur Anatomie der Pflanzen 1812 Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 1824–73 Nepenthaceae Die Vegetabilische Zelle 1851 Vergleichende Untersuchungen 1851 On the Origin of Species 1859 Experiments on Plant Hybridization 1865 Die Vegetation der Erde 1872 Plantesamfund 1895 Pflanzengeographie auf Physiologischer Grundlage 1898 Variation and Evolution in Plants 1950 Ontogeny and Phylogeny 1977 An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants 1981
Theories and concepts	Alternation of generations Cell theory Center of diversity Phylogenetic nomenclature Spontaneous generation Taxonomy Ultrastructure
Influential figures	Theophrastus c. 371–287 BC Pliny the Elder 23–79 AD Pedanius Dioscorides c. 40–90 AD Otto Brunfels 1464–1534 Hieronymus Bock 1498–1554 Valerius Cordus 1515–1544 William Turner 1515–1568 Rembert Dodoens 1517–1585 Andrea Cesalpino 1519–1603 Cristóbal Acosta 1525-1594 Gaspard Bauhin 1560–1624 Joachim Jungius 1587–1657 John Ray 1623–1705 Nehemiah Grew 1628–1711 Marcello Malpighi 1628–1694 Joseph Pitton de Tournefort 1656–1708 Rudolf Jakob Camerarius 1665–1721 Stephen Hales 1677–1761 Bernard de Jussieu 1699–1777 Carolus Linnaeus 1707–1778 Michel Adanson 1727–1806 Jan Ingenhousz 1730–1799 José Celestino Mutis 1732-1808 Félix de Azara 1742-1821 Joseph Banks 1743–1820 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749–1832 Carl Ludwig Willdenow 1765–1812 Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure 1767–1845 Alexander von Humboldt 1769–1859 Aimé Bonpland 1773–1858 Thomas Nuttall 1786–1859 Joakim Frederik Schouw 1789–1852 Matthias Jakob Schleiden 1804–1881 Alexander Braun 1805–1877 George Engelmann 1809–1884 Asa Gray 1810–1888 August Grisebach 1814–1879 Joseph Hooker 1817–1911 Gregor Mendel 1822–1884 Nathanael Pringsheim 1823–1894 Wilhelm Hofmeister 1824–1877 Julius von Sachs 1832–1897 Eugenius Warming 1841–1924 William Gilson Farlow 1844–1919 Andreas Franz Wilhelm Schimper 1856–1901 Nikolai Vavilov 1887–1943 Barbara McClintock 1902–1992 G. Ledyard Stebbins 1906–2000 Eugene Odum 1913–2002 Arthur Cronquist 1919–1992
Related	Botanical garden Herbal Plant taxonomy History of plant systematics Systems of plant taxonomy Herbalism History of agricultural science History of agriculture History of biochemistry History of biology History of biotechnology History of ecology History of evolutionary thought History of genetics History of geology History of medicine History of molecular biology History of molecular evolution History of paleontology History of phycology History of science Natural philosophy Philosophy of biology Timeline of biology and organic chemistry
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v t e Horticulture and gardening
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