botany
botany — noun
1. the scientific study of how plants grow, reproduce, and function, both in their
the scientific study of how plants grow, reproduce, and function, both in their natural environments and under controlled conditions
Yuki decided to study botany at university because she loved learning about different tree species.
study + botany at [institution]
Professor Kwame's botany course taught students how plants turn sunlight into food through photosynthesis.
botany course / botany class
The botany team at the Amazon research station has identified fourteen new orchid varieties this year.
Ingrid borrowed a botany textbook from the library to prepare for her final exam on plant reproduction.
Modern botany combines field studies with lab work to understand how plants adapt to changes in climate.
- plant science
a modern, often interchangeable term increasingly used in university department names
- plant biology
focuses more on the physiological and molecular side than traditional botany
- phytology
the precise Greek-derived synonym, but very rarely used outside technical writing
文法句型
~ of [plants]
study ~
teach ~
用法筆記
Frequently paired with fields like ecology, genetics, and agriculture. The phrase 'department of botany' is still used, though many universities now call it 'plant sciences' or 'plant biology'.
常見錯誤
2. all the plants that grow naturally in a specific place, at a particular time in
all the plants that grow naturally in a specific place, at a particular time in history, or within a certain type of environment — for example, the botany of a desert region or the botany of the Jurassic period
The botany of the Sahara Desert consists mainly of drought-resistant shrubs and tough, hardy grasses.
the botany of + [region]
Amara wrote a report comparing the botany of coastal California with that of the inland valleys.
The botany of Southeast Asia includes thousands of tropical tree species found nowhere else on Earth.
Students collected samples to document the botany of the alpine region above the tree line.
Climate change is rapidly altering the botany of the Arctic tundra, allowing shrubs to spread into areas once covered by moss.
- flora
the most common alternative; 'flora' often includes bacteria and fungi in technical use, while 'botany' usually refers to plants only
- vegetation
broader term covering all plant cover, without the scientific classification focus
- plant life
simpler, everyday term for the plants growing in an area
- fauna
the animal life of a region, contrasted with its plant life
文法句型
the ~ of + [region/period/environment]
用法筆記
Always used with 'the' when referring to a specific place or period ('the botany of Madagascar'). Omitting 'the' shifts the meaning to sense 1 (the academic subject).