Théorie élémentaire de la botanique

work by Candolle

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July 14, 2026

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Théorie élémentaire de la botanique was a significant work by Swiss botanist Augustin Pyrame de Candolle, published in 1813. In this book, Candolle argued that plant classification should be based solely on anatomical structure, not physiology, and he coined the term taxonomy for this field. He proposed the concept of homologous parts in plants, similar to Georges Cuvier's work with animals, which provided evidence for organic evolution, though Candolle himself believed species were constant. This work laid the groundwork for modern plant classification and influenced botanical studies for decades.1

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Augustin Pyrame de Candolle
…published his most important work, Théorie élémentaire de la botanique, in which he contended that plant anatomy, not physiology, must be the sole basis of classification, for which he coined the term taxonomy. After introducing the concept of homologous parts (of common ancestry, although different in structure) for plants as…
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…published his most important work, Théorie élémentaire de la botanique, in which he contended that plant anatomy, not physiology, must be the sole basis of classification, for which he coined the term taxonomy. After introducing the concept of homologous parts (of common ancestry, although different in structure) for plants as…
Read More