Darwin's The Origin of Species has transformed the way we define and interpret nature. In botany, Darwin pointed out that the boundaries between species were not fixed, and that there was no fundamental distinction between species and varieties. He also recognized that his notion of evolution raised unanswered questions, e.g., the "abominable mystery" of the abrupt diversification of flowering plants in the fossil record.

Present-day research in botany is firmly grounded on evolutionary principles and is continually providing new information on the relationships among plants and the evolutionary pathways that gave rise to our flora. The symposium will cover both the historical and philosophical implications of the theory of evolution and cutting-edge research into plant evolution. Join us for an enlightening afternoon.