Having developed an interest in plant taxonomy from the age of 17, Bentham abandoned (1833) his career in law to devote himself entirely to his botanical collection and library.

他从17岁开始就对植物分类产生了浓厚的兴趣，1833年他放弃了他的原有的法律职业，转而投向植物采集和植物藏书中。