Taxonomy, or systematics, is the study of the kinds of organisms and their evolutionary history and relationships. Plant taxonomists collect and study groups of plants, focusing on the ways species arise, relationships among them, and selective forces that have molded their characteristics. To understand patterns of variation and relationships among plants, taxonomists study plants in nature, museums, laboratories, greenhouses, and experimental gardens.

Taxonomists identify, name, and classify organisms. They explore areas to collect, identify, and press representatives of every plant species, in order to record biodiversity before the species are lost to extinction forever. Some explorations lead to conservation efforts or to the discovery of new species, an exciting experience that presents the taxonomist with the opportunity to name and publish a description of the newly discovered species. Basic to these tasks is the challenge of developing a classification for the myriad forms of life, based on differences...