Pharmacognosy is systematic study of these crude drugs obtained from natural origin like plant, animal and minerals. Pharmacognosy can be defined as branch of science which involves detail study of drugs obtained from natural origin including name, habitat, collection, cultivation, macroscopy, microscopy, physical PROPERTIES, chemical constituents, therapeutic actions, uses and adulterants. The WORD pharmacognosy is derived from two words, pharmakon means medicine (drug) and gignosco means to acquire knowledge of something. The word phytopharmaceutical is derived from Greek word ‘phyton’ means plant. Phytopharmaceuticals are drugs whose active constituents are exclusively plant based and are used in rational phytotherapy. Isolated plant constituents like taxol, morphine, quinine, digoxin, caffeine as well as drugs which are based on homoeopathic are not considered as phytopharmaceuticals. HistotyThe history of pharmacognosy is as old as human existence. To know the future one should know the past.  The word ‘drug’ is derived from Latin term Droog means dried, when dried plants were commonly used as medicine. Broadly, history of pharmacognosy can be classified into three major stages. First stage before eighteenth century, very few documents and recorded evidences are available showing use of natural products by human. Second stage involves nineteenth century, which is the time when basic subject has evolved. In this century, the name pharmacognosy came into practice. Initially the subject was more likely to descriptive botany of medicinal plants. But as the time progress, it changes the course and ENCOMPASSES extraction, isolation and other advances techniques.  In twentieth century, which may be considered as third stage of development, series of discoveries resulted in complete metamorphosis of the subject.  From last two decades, pharmacognosy is studied in more systematic manner. As herbal wave continue to sweep the world, importance of natural product is at the pinnacle. People are expecting natural products to fit in MODERN framework. As a result of this there are series of new herbal formulations in the market. The ancient Egyptians documented their knowledge about medicine on paper made from Cyperus aquaticus commonly called acquatic sage or papyrus. Papyrus Ebers (around 1500 BC), Berlin Papyrus, Edwin Smith Paprus, Kahun Medicak Papyrus are some of the oldest handbooks which CONTAIN information of illness and treatments. In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia clay tablets were used to document knowledge of drugs which are dating back to 3000 BC. Ancient India, information about drugs was documented in several Ayurvedic texts which still exist. Apart from Atharvaveda there are several books like Charak Samhita, Sushrut Samhita, Astang Hridaya, Madhav Nidan and Bhava Prakash.