We believe that knowledge about plants is vital for our survival as individuals and as a species.

Firstly, most of our plant-derived medicines come from species in just a few families. Trying to discover new drugs in plants without a good system of plant classification has been likened to looking for a house in London without a map!

Secondly, the system of grouping plant species into a hierarchy of bigger and bigger groups makes identifying plants much easier. We must be able to identify plants quickly and accurately if we are to identify those parts of the World’s vegetation that contain the greatest diversity of plants – so called biodiversity hotspots. These areas are at the top of the list of conservation priorities.

Thirdly, by understanding how plants have evolved in the past we may be able to predict how plants will evolve in the future as the planet’s climate changes.