Evolution of Chestnut Illustrations in Works of XVI Century – A Contribution to the History of Botany

Abstract

This study integrated a broader research and had as main objectives: a) to survey chestnut illustrations in works of the sixteenth century; b) reflect on the importance of chestnut illustrations for the increase of the history of botany; c) reflect about the status of science history as a teaching tool in science education. The chestnut existed around thousands years following the man from the Paleolithic. It was called bread tree, because in the Middle Ages, this tree was cultivated in several areas of the world and constituted a valuable resource for the sustainability of populations. This investigation used a quality methodology with the help of documentary analysis of several works of authors considered as references in XVI century. It was found that since the sixteenth century the authors had some knowledge of the morphological features of the different vegetative organs of sweet chestnut species, allowing the visualization and differentiation of root, stem, leaves and fruit.