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Norris H. Williams, Ph.D.

Curator of Vascular Plants
Keeper of the Herbarium
Affiliate Professor of Botany
Florida Museum of Natural History

Williams

Biography

Norris H. Williams was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1943 and grew up in Anniston, Alabama. He developed an interest in the flora and fauna of north Alabama while hiking and exploring the mountains of the region. He graduated from Anniston High School in 1961.

Education

Academic Positions

Research Interests / Major Research Achievements

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:

  1. Molecular systematics and phylogenetics
  2. Systematics and evolution of the Orchidaceae
  3. Chemistry of floral fragrances
  4. Pollination mechanisms in Neotropical Orchidaceae
  5. Attraction of euglossine bees to floral fragrances and pollination of aroids, gesneriads, and orchids by euglossine bees

Awards and Honors

Present Research

  • Molecular systematics of Maxillaria and its relatives (Orchidaceae:Maxillariinae).
  • Molecular systematics of subtribe Oncidiinae (Orchidaceae).

Present Students

  • Mario Blanco
  • Lorena Endara
  • Kurt Neubig

Courses Taught

Courses taught in the past at FSU and UF:

  • 1973-74 Evolution, Field Botany, Introduction to Plant Diversity
  • 1974-75 Introduction to Plant Diversity, Evolution
  • 1975-76 Topics in Population Biology (Genetic Basis of Evolutionary Change), Evolution, Biosystematics, Experimental Botany
  • 1976-77 Evolution, Introduction to Evolution and Ecology, Introduction to Plant Diversity
  • 1977-78 Introduction to Evolution and Ecology, Origin and Evolution of the Angiosperms
  • 1978-79 Introduction to Evolution and Ecology, Tropical Botany, Evolution, Population Biology, Scientific Photography, Plant Diversity
  • 1979-80 Introduction to Evolution and Ecology, Field Botany, Speciation, Plant Diversity, Scientific Photography
  • 1980-81 Evolution, Reproductive Biology of Flowering Plants
  • 1982-83 Evolution
  • 1997-2002 Molecular Systematics of Plants (each spring)

Membership in Professional Organizations:

Grants received

  • American Orchid Society. 1997-98. "Molecular approaches to the phylogeny of the Oncidiinae (Orchidaceae)". $6,150.
  • National Science Foundation 1998-2000. "Collection improvements for the University of Florida herbarium". $115,032.
  • National Science Foundation. 1999-2003. "Molecular and morphological systematics of the subtribe Oncidiinae (Orchidaceae)." $25,000.
  • American Orchid Society. 2002-2004. $10,802. "What is Oncidium? Phylogenetics as a prelude to a revised classification of Oncidium and related genera." This proposal is to sample ±100 taxa currently classified in Oncidium, Odontoglossum and several generic segregates for the plastid regions matK, trnL-F, and the atpß-rbcL intergenic spacer region, to complement the nuclear ITS region already completed. This work is necessary to determine if we should maintain Oncidium and Odontoglossum, as well as recognize additional genera in the group, or should we merge all of these species into a large re-defined Oncidium. Before we make such drastic taxonomic changes, we need to have an abundance of data.
  • National Science Foundation. 2003-2005. "Systematics of Maxillariinae (Orchidaceae): generic delimitation, pollinator rewards, and pollination." $300,000. This project will define genera and generic relationships in the subtribe Maxillariinae (± 600 species in the genus Maxillaria alone), one of the largest neotropical groups with large, amorphous, poorly defined genera. See the web site http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herbarium/max/.

Selected Publications

  1. Hills, H.G., N.H. Williams, and C.H. Dodson. 1968. Identification of Some Orchid Fragrance Components. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 37:967-971.
  2. 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.
  3. Williams, N.H. 1970. Some Observations on Pollinaria in the Oncidiinae. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 39:32-43, 207-220.
  4. Dressler, R.L. and N.H. Williams. 1970. The Genus Systeloglossum. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 39:323-329.
  5. Dressler, R.L. and N.H. Williams. 1970. An Overlooked Genus in the Oncidiinae. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 39:988-994.
  6. Williams, N.H. and C.H. Dodson. 1972. Selective Attraction of Male Euglossine Bees to Orchid Floral Fragrances and Its Importance in Long Distance Pollen Flow. Evolution 26:84-95.
  7. Williams, N.H. 1972. A Reconsideration of Ada and the Glumaceous Brassias (Orchidaceae). Brittonia 24:93-110.
  8. Hills, H.G., N.H. Williams, and C.H. Dodson. 1972. Floral Fragrances and Isolating Mechanisms in the Genus Catasetum (Orchidaceae). Biotropica 4:61-76.
  9. Ayensu, E.S. and N.H. Williams. 1972. Leaf Anatomy of Palumbina and Odontoglossum Subgenus Osmoglossum. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 41:687-696.
  10. Williams, N.H. 1972. Additional Studies on Pollinaria in the Oncidiinae. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 41:222-230.
  11. Williams, N.H. and R.L. Dressler. 1973. Oncidium Species Described by Jacquin and the Typification of Oncidium. Taxon 22:221-227.
  12. Williams, N.H. 1974. Taxonomy of the Genus Aspasia Lindley (Orchidaceae: Oncidieae). Brittonia 26:333-346.
  13. Williams, N.H. 1974. The Value of Plant Anatomy in Orchid Taxonomy. Pp. 281-298 in M. Ospina (ed.). Proceedings of the Seventh World Orchid Conference. Medellin, Colombia.
  14. Williams, N.H. 1975. Stomatal Development in Ludisia Discolor (Orchidaceae): Mesoperigenous Subsidiary Cells in the Monocotyledons. Taxon 24:281-288.
  15. Dressler, R.L. and N.H. Williams. 1975. Jacquin Names - Again. Taxon 24:647-650.
  16. Dressler, R.L. and N.H. Williams. 1975. El Complejo Oncidoglossum Confusum. Orquidea 4:332-352.
  17. Williams, N.H. and C.R. Broome. 1976. Scanning Electron Microscope Studies of Orchid Pollen. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 45:699-707.
  18. Williams, N.H. and R.L. Dressler. 1976. Euglossine Pollination of Spathiphyllum (Araceae). Selbyana 1:349-356.
  19. Williams, N.H. 1976. Subsidiary Cell Development in the Catasetinae (Orchidaceae) and Related Groups. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 72:299-309.
  20. Newton, G.D. and N.H. Williams. 1978. Pollen Morphology of the Cypripedioideae and the Apostasioideae (Orchidaceae). Selbyana 2:169-182.
  21. Williams, N.H. 1978. Pollen Structure and the Systematics of the Neotropical Gesneriaceae. Selbyana 2:310-322.
  22. Williams, N.H. 1978. A Preliminary Bibliography on Euglossine Bees and Their Relationships with Orchids and Other Plants. Selbyana 2:345-355.
  23. Atwood, J.T. and N.H. Williams. 1978. The Utility of Epidermal Cell Features in Phragmipedium and Paphiopedilum (Orchidaceae) for Determining Sterile Specimens. Selbyana 2:356-366.
  24. 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.
  25. Atwood, J.T. and N.H. Williams. 1979. Surface Features of the Adaxial Epidermis in the Conduplicate-leaved Cypripedioideae (Orchidaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 78:141-156.
  26. Pridgeon, A.M. and N.H. Williams. 1979. Anatomical Aspects of Dresslerella (Orchidaceae). Selbyana 5:120-134.
  27. Williams, N.H. 1979. Preface - The Various Contrivances by Which Orchids Are Fertilised by Insects, by Charles Darwin. Reprint of the 1862 Edition. Pp. V-XI. Earl M. Coleman, Publisher.
  28. Ackerman, J.D. and N.H. Williams. 1980. Pollen Morphology of the Tribe Neottieae and Its Impact on the Classification of the Orchidaceae. Grana 19:7-18.
  29. Dodson, C.H. and N.H. Williams. 1980. Konantzia, A New Genus in the Orchidaceae from Western Ecuador. Phytologia 46:387-388.
  30. Williams, N.H. 1981. Floral Fragrance Components of Brassavola (Orchidaceae). Selbyana 5:279-285.
  31. Murrell, J.T., N.H. Williams, A.M. Pridgeon, and C.H. Dodson. 1981. Floral Fragrances in Angraecum (Orchidaceae). Selbyana 5:286-290.
  32. Williams, N.H., J.T. Atwood, and C.H. Dodson. 1981. Floral Fragrance Analysis in Anguloa, Lycaste, and Mendoncella (Orchidaceae). Selbyana 5:291-295.
  33. Ackerman, J.D. and N.H. Williams. 1981. Pollen Morphology of the Chloraeinae (Orchidaceae: Diuridae) and Related Subtribes. American Journal of Botany 68:1392-1402.
  34. Williams, N.H. and W.M. Whitten. 1982. Identification of Floral Fragrance Components of Stanhopea Embreei and Attraction of Its Pollinator to Synthetic Fragrance Compounds. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 51:1262-1266.
  35. 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.
  36. Dressler, R.L. and N.H. Williams. 1982. Proposal for the Conservation of the Generic Name 1779 Oncidium Swartz (Orchidaceae) with a Conserved Type Species, Oncidium Altissimum Sw. Taxon 31:752-754.
  37. 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.
  38. 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.
  39. Williams, N.H., W.M. Whitten, and C.H. Dodson. 1984. Preliminary Analyses of the Floral Fragrances of Species of Acineta, Houlletia, Lueddemannia, Lycomormium, Paphinia, and Sievekingia (Orchidaceae). Selbyana 7:315-317.
  40. Lindquist, N., M.A. Battiste, W.M. Whitten, N.H. Williams, and L. Strekowski. 1985. Trans-carvone Oxide, A Monoterpene Epoxide from the Fragrance of Catasetum. Phytochemistry 24:863-865.
  41. Williams, N.H., W.M. Whitten, and L.F. Pedrosa. 1985. Crystalline Production of Fragrance in Gongora Quinquenervis. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54:598-603.
  42. Gupta, M.P., T.D. Arias, N.H. Williams, R. Bos, and D.H.E. Tattje. 1985. Safrole, the Main Component of the Essential Oil from Piper Auritum of Panama. Journal of Natural Products 48:330.
  43. Williams, N.H. and W.M. Whitten. 1985. Advances and Trends in Orchid Floral Fragrance Analysis. Pp.392-395 in K.W. Tan and J. McQuery (eds.). Proceedings of the Eleventh World Orchid Conference. Miami, Fl.
  44. Whitten, W.M., N.H. Williams, W.S. Armbruster, M.A. Battiste, L. Strekowski, and N. Lindquist. 1986. Carvone Oxide: An Example of Convergent Evolution in Euglossine Pollinated Plants. Systematic Botany 11:222-228.
  45. 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.
  46. Dressler, R.L., D.W. Hall, K.D. Perkins, and N.H. Williams. 1987. Identification Manual for Wetland Plant Species of Florida. IFAS Special Publication-35. University of Florida. 297 pp. Second printing 1991.
  47. Williams, N.H. and W.M. Whitten. 1988. Stanhopea panamensis, A New Species from Central Panama (Orchidaceae). Lindleyana 3:9-11.
  48. Fritze, K.J. and N.H. Williams. 1988. The Taxonomic Significance of Pollen Morphology in the Columnea Alliance (Gesneriaceae: Gesnerioideae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. 75: 168-191.
  49. Whitten, W.M., H.G. Hills, and N.H. Williams. 1988. Occurrence of Ipsdienol in Floral Fragrances. Phytochemistry 27:2759-2760.
  50. Whitten, W.M., A.M. Young, and N.H. Williams. 1989. Function of Glandular Secretions in Fragrance Collection by Male Euglossine Bees (Apidae:Euglossini). Journal of Chemical Ecology 15:1285-1295.
  51. Dodson, C.H., N.H. Williams, and W.M. Whitten. 1989. A New Species of Gongora (Orchidaceae) from Ecuador. Lindleyana 4:30-32.
  52. Hills, H.G. and N.H. Williams. 1990. Fragrance cycle of Clowesia rosea (Orchidaceae). Orquidea 12:19-22.
  53. Whitten, W.M. and N.H. Williams. 1991. A new species and nomenclatural changes in Gongora sect. Acropera (Orchidaceae: Stanhopeinae). Lindleyana 6:109-112.
  54. Whitten, W.M. and N.H. Williams. 1991. Gongora escobariana Whitten, a new species from Colombia, and the rediscovery of G. sanderiana in Peru. Orquideología 18:105-127.
  55. Whitten, W.M. and N.H. Williams. 1992. Floral fragrances of Stanhopea (Orchidaceae). Lindleyana 7:130-153.
  56. Hills, H.G., N.H. Williams, and W.M. Whitten. 1999. Fragrances of Catasetum. Pp. 263-272 in THE WORLD OF CATASETUMS. Arthur Holst (ed.). Timber Press. Portland, Oregon.
  57. Whitten, W. M., N. H. Williams, and K. V. Glover. 1999. Sulphuryl fluoride fumigation: effect on DNA extraction and amplification from herbarium specimens. Taxon 48:507-510.
  58. Anderson, J.E., J.F. Preston, D.W. Dickson, T.E. Hewlett, N.H. Williams, and J.E. Maruniak. 1999. Phylogenetic analysis of Pasteuria penetrans, a parasitic bacterium of root-knot nematodes, by 16s rRNA gene cloning and sequencing. Journal of Nematology 31:319-325.
  59. 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.
  60. Castro, H.F., N.H. Williams, and A. Ogram. 2000. Phylogeny of sulfate-reducing bacteria. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 31:1-9.
  61. 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.
  62. Wood, T.H., W. M. Whitten, and N. H. Williams. 2000. Phylogeny of Hedychium and related genera (Zingiberaceae) based upon ITS sequence data. Journal of the Edinburgh Botanical Garden 57:261-270.
  63. Dressler, R.L. and N.H. Williams. 2000. Chelyorchis, a new genus. P. 1130 in Romero-González, G.A. and G. Carnevali Fernández-Concha. Orchids of Venezuela: An illustrated field guide. Second edition. Armitano Editores. Caracas, Venezuela.
  64. Iudica, C.A., W.M. Whitten, and N.H. Williams. 2001. Small bones from dried mammal museum specimens as a reliable source of DNA. BioTechniques 30: 732-736.
  65. Sosa, V., M. W. Chase, G. Salazar , W. M. Whitten, and N. H. Williams. 2001. Phylogenetic Position of Dignathe (Orchidaceae: Oncidiinae): evidence from nuclear ITS ribosomal DNA sequences. Lindleyana 16: 94-101.
  66. 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.
  67. 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.
  68. Chase, M.W. and N.H. Williams. 2001. Additional transfers to Trichocentrum Poepp. and Endl. and Otoglossum Garay and Dunst. (Orchidaceae: Oncidiinae). Lindleyana 16: 218-219.
  69. Williams, N.H. and W. M. Whitten. 2001. Checking an orchid hybrid’s background: The use of molecular data in determining parentage of hybrids. Orchids 70: 1056-1061.
  70. 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.
  71. 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.
  72. 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.
  73. Zomlefer, W. B., W. M. Whitten, N. H. Williams, and W. S. Judd. 2003. An overview of Veratrum (Liliales: Melanthiaceae) and an infrageneric phylogeny based on ITS sequence data. Systematic Botany 28(2): 250-269.
  74. Carnevali, G., J.L. Tapia, N.H. Williams, and W.M. Whitten. 2003. Sistemática, filogenia y biogeografía de Myrmecophila (Orchidaceae). Lankesteriana 7: 29-32. Abstract.
  75. Ojeda, I., G. Carnevali, N.H. Williams, and W.M. Whitten. 2003. Phylogeny of the Heterotaxis complex (Maxillariinae): evolution of the vegetative architecture and pollination syndromes. Lankesteriana 7: 45-47. Abstract.
  76. Williams, N.H. and W. M. Whitten. 2003. Molecular phylogenetics and generic concepts in the Maxillarieae (Orchidaceae). Lankesteriana 7: 61-62. Abstract.
  77. Dressler, R.L. and N.H. Williams. 2003. New combinations in Mesoamerican Oncidiinae (Orchidaceae). Selbyana 24(1): 44-45.
  78. Dressler, R. L., Whitten, W. M., and N. H. Williams.  2004.  Phylogenetic relationships of Scaphyglottis and related genera (Laeliinae: Orchidaceae) based on nrDNA ITS sequence data  Brittonia 56: 58-66.
  79. 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: 191199.
  80. Damián Loayza, M., N. H. Williams, and W M. Whitten.  2005.  Phragmipedium kovachii:  Molecular systematics of a new world orchid.  Orchids 74:  132-137.

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