How many plant families are there in the world? As I researched this seemingly straightforward question, it became clear pretty quickly that there is no quick and easy answer. Pierre Magnol, the man who introduced the concept of plant families in 1689, listed 76 families in his book "Precursor to a General History of Plants, in which the families of plants are arranged in tables".
According to the 20th century botanist Hutchinson there are 411 families; according to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, there are 173; according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) there are 462; and according to the website theplantlist.org the number is 620. What's going on? It goes with out saying that science has advanced leaps and bounds since 1689.
While I have a general understanding of the history of taxonomy - the various systems of classification, the lumpers and the splitters, and the increasingly modern methods of deciphering the lineage of plants - there is an awful lot I do not know, but would like to know.
The mission of this blog is to take a fresh look at Magnol's legacy and fill in some of those gaps between the 76 families of 1689 and the assorted hundreds of the present, and maybe have some fun in the process. Because, when you have a passion for plants, and are fascinated by the history and personalities of botany... this is what you do.
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