What are the consequences of the discoveries of new plants by Europeans ?

« 10/02/2022 DNL The circulation of botanic knowledges and goods. What are the consequences of the discoveries of new plants by Europeans ? The XVI th century was a century marked with explorations of the world and various discoveries.

These discoveries have helped improve and make the world we know and call ours.

Note that at that time, only places considered « developed » could afford, had the capacity and the will to explore, places like Europe. Indeed, these discoveries have allowed certain technological advances such as circulation of botanic knowledge and the introduction, and domestication of new plants into the diet of Europeans by European, the domestication consists in gradually adapting a wild plant to agriculture.

Moreover, by definition botanics desigates the sciences of plants, herbs and plants, useful to the field of agriculture, pharmacology, forestry or horticulture.

Botanics provides a better understading of the usefulness of plants for the planet. Therefore, thanks to various testimonies of the past, we know more precisely what kind of new plants have been discovered.As well as how these plants were percieved by Europeans, including botanist, which gave them more knowledge about the botanics.

According to the Universal Cosmography written by André Thévet and published in 1575, which makes it a primary source, Europeans, more precisely Thevet discovered tobacco in Brazil in 1555, « Thevet took part in the French expedition to Brazil in 1555, (…)and was one of the first to take an interest in tobacco.

». We also know, according to the History of a Voyage to the land of Brazil written by Jean de Léry published in 1578, which makes it a primary source, that Europeans, more precisely Jean de Léry, have discovered the pineapple, and, we know how the plant was, as it was described and how it was percieved « Firstly, the plant which produces the fruit named pineapples by the savages, is similar in shape to gladioli, and still having the leaves little curved and fluted around around,they are closer to those of aloe.

», in this passage, the pineapple is assimilated to other plants, like the gladioli and the. »