植物学(Botany)

botany,thestudyofplants,occupiesapeculiarpositioninthehistoryofhumanknowledge.formanythousandsofyearsitwastheonefieldofawarenessaboutwhichhumanshadanythingmorethanthevaguestofinsights.itisimpossibletoknowtodayjustwhatourstoneageancestorsknewaboutplants,butformwhatwecanobserveofpre-industrialsocietiesthatstillexistadetailedlearningofplantsandtheirpropertiesmustbeextremelyancient.

thisislogical.plantsarethebasisofthefoodpyramidforalllivingthingsevenforotherplants.theyhavealwaysbeenenormouslyimportanttothewelfareofpeoplenotonlyforfood,butalsoforclothing,weapons,tools,dyes,medicines,shelter,andagreatmanyotherpurposes.tribeslivingtodayinthejunglesoftheamazonrecognizeliterallyhundredsofplantsandknowmanypropertiesofeach.tothem,botany,assuch,hasnonameandisprobablynotevenrecognizedasaspecialbranchof"knowledge"atall.

unfortunately,themoreindustrializedwebecomethefartherawaywemovefromdirectcontactwithplants,andthelessdistinctourknowledgeofbotanygrows.yeteveryonecomesunconsciouslyonanamazingamountofbotanicalknowledge,andfewpeoplewillfailtorecognizearose,anapple,oranorchid.

whenourneolithicancestors,livinginthemiddleeastabout10,000yearsago,discoveredthatcertaingrassescouldbeharvestedandtheirseedsplantedforricheryieldsthenextseasonthefirstgreatstepinanewassociationofplantsandhumanswastaken.

grainswerediscoveredandfromthemflowedthemarvelofagriculture:cultivatedcrops.fromthenon,humanswouldincreasinglytaketheirlivingfromthecontrolledproductionofafewplants,ratherthangettingalittlehereandalittletherefrommanyvarietiesthatgrewwild-andtheaccumulatedknowledgeoftensofthousandsofyearsofexperienceandintimacywithplantsinthewildwouldbegintofadeaway.