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Elements of the Philosophy of Plants

Contents

An illustrated plate (VII) from Elements of the Philosophy of Plants

Elements of the Philosophy of Plants opens with a brief introduction to general botany by Kurt Sprengel. The English edition also features an additional preface by an anonymous translator, who uses it to credit the authors' achievements and dedicate his translation professor Robert Jameson, a well-known Scottish naturalist. The textbook is divided into 5 main sections (four parts and a practical section), with parts I-III taken directly from de Candolle's work. The information in the final two sections is compiled by Sprengel himself from various sources. The final section is supplemented with eight illustrative plates by Scottish engraver William Home Lizars, which are included at the beginning of the textbook.

1. Part I - Nomenclature: This part establishes the basic terms and methods for describing plants and plant organs, such as commonly accepted units of measurement and descriptions of colour and texture. It also contains definitions of the common terms in botanical science at the time and briefly explains their Latin and Greek origins.
2. Part II - Taxonomy (The Theory of Classification): This part of the textbook presents an extensive explanation of the Linnaean taxonomy system. An overview of the system's inaccuracies and weak points is given, and some possible improvements are proposed. Afterwards, de Candolle also describes elements of his own natural classification system. The section also deals with theories and methods of natural classification and establishing the connections between genera.
3. Part III - Phytography (Descriptive Botany): The third part of the textbook describes the generation and use of generic and trivial plant names. Also included are the methods of deriving exact names for plant organs based on their specific characteristics in different plants. Finally, there is a brief introduction to the description of gardens and plant collections.
4. Part IV - Phytonomy (On the Structure and Nature of Plants): This is the first part written by Sprengel, and the first to focus on theories rather than definitions and methods of study and classification. It explains the basic structure of the major plant organs, their chemical composition, and their purposes. It outlines several experiments that demonstrate the effects of various elements and stimuli on plants, some of which conducted by Sprengel himself. This section of the textbook also puts forward some theories on the common origins and distribution of plants, as well as describes some common plant diseases. It concludes with an overview of the history of botany from Ancient Greece to the most recent at the time 19th century developments.
5. Part V - Practical Part: The final section of the textbook consists of detailed descriptions of the plants and plant organs depicted in the illustrative plates. This features physical descriptions, geographical distribution, classification, and some of the possible applications of the plant, if such are known.