Iranian World Plant Species in the European Network of Botanical Information Exchange in the Sixteenth Century

Abstract

Geographic discoveries in the sixteenth century, alongside methodical reforms in the practice of natural history, created a situation that was conducive for information exchange between European agents and local informants and scholars outside of Europe. These contacts, in turn, acted as a strong stimulus for change in European natural history. Until now, research on this process of transformation has been mainly focused on areas like the Indian subcontinent or the Americas, where most of these activities occurred, both in terms of politics and science alike. But Iran, a crucial part of the world trade network in that period, is still largely neglected in this research. This paper seeks to begin to redress the balance, introducing some notable plant species that were designated to the Iranian world by sixteenth-century European naturalists. This introductory survey will help to shed some light on the diversity of scientific exchange in the sixteenth century and the role played by other lesser known areas in this process.