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Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c5.s1: Section I. General Observations

Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c5.s1

Language
English

Section I. General Observations

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The daring philosophic speculations and fanciful popular notions are always in advance of science. The hymns of the Vedas, the texts of the Upanishads, the Epics and Purāṇas, the Buddhist and Jaina canonical works and commentaries, the medical treatises of Charaka and Suśruta, the lexicon of Amara and such other works yield us plenty of materials indicating how the knowledge of plants and plant-life came into clear recognition, and the Botanical science developed on various lines. The information culled from these sources can be considered under the following heads :

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I. Germination of seeds. II. Morphology—External, *i.e.*, general description of Plants. III. Morphology—Internal or Histology. IV. Physiology.
1. Nourishment.
2. Absorption, Transport, Transpiration and Assimilation of food.
3. Planting.
4. Manuring.

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5. Treatment of Plants.
6. Respiration (Breathing).
7. Movement—Irritability.
8. Growth.
9. Age and Death.
10. Consciousness in Plants.
11. Sexuality.
12. Reproduction.
13. Heredity. (Appendix A.)

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V. Ecology—Study of Plants in their natural surroundings (homes).

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VI. Taxonomy.
1. Nomenclature or the naming of Plants.
2. Classification or the grouping of Plants based on—
(a) Botanical principles.
(b) Medicinal properties.
(c) Dietic value.

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VII. Plants and Evolution.

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VIII. Miscellaneous application of the Study of the Science of Plant-life—
1. As a means of Economic predictions.
2. As a means of ascertaining the presence of water in a dreary region.

Cites (6)