Botany, also called plant science(s), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. Botany covers a wide range of scientific disciplines including structure, growth, reproduction, metabolism, development, diseases and evolutionary relationships among taxonomic groups.
Plant science(s) has traditionally been divided into three main areas: systematic botany (the classification and naming of plants); morphological botany (the study of plant form); and physiological botany (now known as functional Plant Biology or Plant Physiology). More recently however it has become increasingly recognised that these traditional divisions are artificial and that they do not reflect the true interdependence between these various branches of study. It is now usual to consider all aspects of plant life under one heading: Botany.
The five main branches of botanical sciences are therefore:
-Systematic Botany
-Morphological Botany
-Physiological Botany
-Ecological Botany
-Paleobotony