The Jardin des Plantes of Paris is the main botanical garden in France. It is one of seven departments of the Muséum ntional d’histoire naturelle which is situated in the 5ème arrondissement, Paris, on the left bank of the river Seine and covers 28 hectares (280,000 m²). Founded in 1626, the garden was not planted by Guy de La Brosse, Louis XIII’s physician, until 1635 as a medicinal herb garden. It was originally known as the Jardin du Roi. In 1640 it opened to the public. The Comte de Buffon became the curator in 1739 and he expanded the gardens greatly, adding a maze, the Labyrinth, which remains today.