In this passage about botanical gardens, ----.

Botanic gardens may be regarded as having a
threefold function: to please and educate the public; to
carry out investigations regarding the economic value
of native and foreign plant products and
acclimatisation of plants; and to act as centres of
information and scientific investigation in various fields
of botany, such as anatomy, morphology and
physiology, for which museums, libraries and
laboratories are also needed. The search for drugs
and spices particularly has tempted men from early
times to explore all parts of the world and this has
promoted a close link between exploration and botanic
gardens. One well-known botanic garden is the Royal
Botanic Garden at Edinburgh which was founded in
1670 by Robert Sibbald for the cultivation of medical
plants. Since that date it has been removed to several
different sites. It is now one of the major botanic
gardens in Britain with an area of over 60 acres.