<P> In India simple artificial plant classification systems of the Rigveda , Atharvaveda and Taittiriya Samhita became more botanical with the work of Parashara ( c. 400 -- c. 500 AD ) , the author of Vṛksayurveda ( the science of life of trees ) . He made close observations of cells and leaves and divided plants into Dvimatrka ( Dicotyledons ) and Ekamatrka ( Monocotyledons ) . The dicotyledons were further classified into groupings ( ganas ) akin to modern floral families : Samiganiya ( Fabaceae ) , Puplikagalniya ( Rutaceae ) , Svastikaganiya ( Cruciferae ) , Tripuspaganiya ( Cucurbitaceae ) , Mallikaganiya ( Apocynaceae ) , and Kurcapuspaganiya ( Asteraceae ) . Important medieval Indian works of plant physiology include the Prthviniraparyam of Udayana , Nyayavindutika of Dharmottara , Saddarsana - samuccaya of Gunaratna , and Upaskara of Sankaramisra . </P>
who discovered that plants were made of cells
Parashara