Established in 1963 as one of the four Departments at the Calicut centre of the University of Kerala, the Department came under the University of Calicut when it was established in 1968.
The Academic activites were in full swing when Prof. B. K. Nayar, the first Head of the Department assumed office. The faculty of the Department have done extensive research in the areas of Angiosperm Taxonomy, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Cell Biology, Ethno Botany, Floristics, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Morphogenesis, Morphology, Mycology, Physiology, Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology and Pteridology.