Description: The course will review major groups of food plants from an evolutionary and historical perspective, by examining the origins from wild relatives to current distribution and varieties today. Examples will be reviewed from a diversity of crops from around the world, such as grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, nuts and others (e.g., caffeine-producing plants). General concepts covered will include plant morphology, evolutionary processes (domestication, hybridization, polyploidy, diversification) and relevant ecology (e.g., pollination biology, pest and pest control). Focus will include California agriculture and crops as illustrated through field trips.