Staff Spotlight
Dr. Norris H. Williams
Curator & Keeper of the Herbarium
374 Dickinson Hall
Museum Road & Newell Drive
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 273-1982
Email: orchid@flmnh.ufl.edu
Ph.D. Biology, University of Miami, 1971
Full C.V. (PDF)
Concurrent Appointments
Affiliate Professor of Botany
Research Interests
My research concerns the systematics and evolution of Orchidaceae, with particular emphasis on Neotropical groups. Most of the work done in my lab involves molecular systematics of various genera and tribes of Orchidaceae. Research interests include: molecular systematics and phylogenetics, systematics and evolution of the Orchidaceae, chemistry of floral fragrances, pollination mechanisms in neotropical Orchidaceae, and attraction of euglossine bees to floral fragrances and pollination of aroids, gesneriads, and orchids by euglossine bees.
Graduate Students
Mario Blanco, Ph.D. Candidate
Email: mblanco@flmnh.ufl.edu
- Studying plant systematics and evolution, especially of Orchidaceae and Aristolochiaceae; pollination biology; plant functional morphology; Neotropical floristics. Ph.D. dissertation project: "A monogaph of the genus Lockhartia (Orchidaceae)."
Lorena Endara, Ph.D. Candidate
Email: lendara@flmnh.ufl.edu
- I am interested in Pleurothallid, a diverse neotropical orchid subtribe. Through my research in the Reproducive Biology of Dracula and Scaphosepalum and the taxonomical work in Stelis of Ecuador and Pleurothallis Macrophylla-fasciculatae several enigmas have arisen. I expect that the application of Molecular Systematics will give me a better understanding of this group that contributes with approximately 5% to the total diversity of the Andean Flora. Additionally, I hope that the findings will enlighten the current knowledge of several distributional patterns that will consequently help its conservation, another of my major interests.
Kurt Neubig, M.S. Candidate
Email: kneubig@flmnh.ufl.edu
Staff
Kent Perkins - Herbarium Collection Manager
Mark Whitten - Senior Biological Scientist
Representative Publications
Dodson, C.H., R.L. Dressler, H.G. Hills, R.M. Adams, and N.H. Williams. 1969. Biologically Active Compounds in Orchid Fragrances. Science 164:1243-1249.
Williams, N.H. 1979. Subsidiary Cells in the Orchidaceae: Their General Distribution with Special Reference to Development in the Oncidieae. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 78:41-66.
Williams, N.H. 1982. The Biology of Orchids and Euglossine Bees. Pp. 119-171 in J. Arditti (ed.). Orchid Biology: Reviews and Perspectives, II. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, New York.
Williams, N.H. 1983. Floral Fragrances as Cues in Animal Behavior. Pp. 50-72 in C.E. Jones and R.J. Little (eds.). Handbook of Experimental Pollination Biology. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. New York.
Williams, N.H. and W.M. Whitten. 1983. Orchid Floral Fragrances and Male Euglossine Bees: Methods and Advances in the Last Sesquidecade. Biological Bulletin 164:355-395.
Rodríguez Caballero, R.L., D.E. Mora, M.E. Barahona, and N.H. Williams. 1986. Géneros de Orquídeas de Costa Rica. Editorial Universidad de Costa Rica. 334 pp. In addition to my work on the Spanish botanical portion of the text, I translated the work into English.
Williams, N.H. and W.M. Whitten. 1999. Molecular phylogeny and floral fragrances of male euglossine bee pollinated orchids: a study of Stanhopea. Plant Species Biology 14: 129-137.
Whitten, W. M., N. H. Williams, and M. W. Chase. 2000. Subtribal and generic relationships of Maxillarieae (Orchidaceae) with emphasis on Stanhopeinae: Combined molecular evidence. American Journal of Botany 87:1842-1856.
Williams, N.H., M. W. Chase, T. Fulcher, and W. M. Whitten. 2001. Molecular systematics of the Oncidiinae based on evidence from four DNA sequence regions: expanded circumscriptions of Cyrtochilum, Erycina, Otoglossum, and Trichocentrum and a new genus (Orchidaceae). Lindleyana 16: 113-139.
Zomlefer, W.B., N.H. Williams, W.M. Whitten, and W.S. Judd. 2001. Generic circumscription and relationships in the tribe Melanthieae (Liliales, Melanthiaceae), with emphasis on Zigadenus: evidence from ITS and trnL-F sequence data. American Journal of Botany 88: 1657-1669.
Williams, N.H., M. W. Chase, and W. M. Whitten. 2001. Phylogenetic position of Miltoniopsis, Caucaea, a new genus, Cyrtochiloides, and relationship of Oncidium phymatochilum based on nuclear and chloroplast dna sequence data (Orchidaceae: Oncidiinae). Lindleyana 16: 272-285.
Koehler, S., N.H. Williams, W.M. Whitten, and M.E. do Amaral. 2002. Phylogeny of the Bifrenaria (Orchidaceae) complex based on morphology and sequence data from nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and chloroplast trnL-F region. International Journal of Plant Sciences 163:1055-1066.
Carlsward, B. S., W. M. Whitten, and N. H. Williams. 2003. Molecular phylogenetics of neotropical leafless Angraecinae (Orchidaceae): reevaluation of generic concepts. International Journal of Plant Sciences 164(1): 43-51.?
Dressler, R. L., Whitten, W. M., and N. H. Williams. 2004. Molecular systematics of Scaphyglottis and related genera (Orchidaceae). Brittonia 56: 58-66.
Chase, M. W., L. Hanson, V. A. Albert, W. M. Whitten, and N. H. Williams. 2005. Life history evolution and genome size in subtribe Oncidiinae (Orchidaceae). Annals of Botany 95: 191-199.
Damián Loayza, M., N. H. Williams, and W M. Whitten. 2005. Phragmipedium kovachii: Molecular systematics of a new world orchid. Orchids 74: 132-137.
Whitten, W.M., N. H. Williams, R. L. Dressler, G. Gerlach, and F. Pupulin. 2005. Generic relationships of Zygopetalinae (Orchidaceae: Cymbidieae): combined molecular evidence. Lankesteriana 5: 87-108.
Williams, N.H., W.M. Whitten, and R. L. Dressler. 2005. Molecular systematics of Telipogon (Orchidaceae: Oncidiinae) and its allies: nuclear and plastid dna sequence data. Lankesteriana 5: 163-184.
Carlsward,B.S., W. M. Whitten, N. H. Williams, and B. Bytebie 2006. Molecular phylogenetics of Vandeae (Orchidaceae) and the evolution of leaflessness. American Journal of Botany 93: 770-786.
Zomlefer, W.B., W.M. Whitten, N.H. Williams, and W.S. Judd. 2006. Infrageneric phylogeny of Schoenocaulon (Liliales: Melanthiaceae) with clarification of cryptic species based on ITS sequence data and geographical distribution. American Journal of Botany 93: 1178-1192.
Whitten, W.M., M. A. Blanco, and N. H. Williams. 2006. Recircumscription of Pityphyllum (Orchidaceae: Maxillariinae). ORCHIDS (Lindleyana) 75:452-456.
Blanco, M. A., W. M. Whitten, N. H. Williams, and S. Koehler. 2006. Capillitial extrusion from fruits of Maxillaria nardoides (Orchidaceae: Maxillariinae). ORCHIDS (Lindleyana) 75: 685-691.
Zomlefer, W. B., Judd, W. S., Whitten, W. M., and Williams, N. H. 2006. A synopsis of Melanthiaceae (Liliales), with focus on character evolution in tribe Melanthieae. In J. T. Columbus, E. A. Friar, J. M. Porter, L. M. Prince, and M. G. Simpson [eds.], Comparative biology of the monocotyledons: proceedings of the Third International Conference, pp. 566-578. Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, California, USA.
Blanco, M. A, W. M. Whitten, D. S. Penneys, N. H. Williams, K. M. Neubig, & L. Endara. 2006. A Simple And Safe Method For Rapid Drying Of Plant Specimens Using Forced-Air Space Heaters. Selbyana 27: 83-87.
Ionta G. M., W. S. Judd, N. H. Williams, & W. M. Whitten. 2007. Phylogenetic relationships in Rhexia (Melastomataceae): Evidence from DNA sequence data and morphology. International Journal of Plant Sciences 168: 1055-1066.
Whitten, W.M., M. A. Blanco, N. H. Williams, S. Koehler, G. Carnevali, R. B. Singer, L. Endara, & K. M. Neubig. 2007. Molecular Phylogenetics of Maxillaria and Related Genera (Orchidaceae: Cymbidieae) Based Upon Combined Molecular Data Sets. American Journal of Botany 94: 1860-1889.
Williams, N.H., J. D. Ackerman, E. M. Fernández, & J. Llamacho. 2007. Antillanorchis: Its Rediscovery and Systematic Position. ORCHIDS 76: 856-858.
Blanco, M. A. G. Carnevali, W. M. Whitten, R. Singer, S. Koehler, N. H. Williams, I. Ojeda, K. Neubig, & L. Endara. 2007. Generic realignments in Maxillariinae (Orchidaceae). Lankesteriana 7(3): 515-537.