Linda Watson

author and editor of "Flora of Oklahoma"

November 4, 2015

Dr. Linda Watson received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Louisiana State University and her Ph.D. in Botany from University of Oklahoma. She was the rare plant botanist for the State of Oklahoma when she was employed by the Oklahoma Biological Survey. She was on the faculty at Miami University (Ohio) before coming to Oklahoma State. She specializes in plant systematics and evolution. Her scholarship includes molecular phylogenetic studies focused on the Sunflower Family, the largest family of flowering plants. Her research has provided evidence for the origin, migration, and diversification of major lineages within the family, providing historical biogeographic insight. She also has contributed traditional taxonomic treatments to the Flora of North America.The vascular flora of Oklahoma comprises 2659 species in 178 plant families. Oklahoma has a complex assemblage of plant species representative of the eastern deciduous forest and grasslands, and to a lesser extent the Rocky Mountains, Gulf Coastal Plains, and Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts. This book includes descriptions for all 178 families that occur in Oklahoma, plus taxonomic keys to all 2569 species for identification.

URL: https://library.okstate.edu/news/celebratingbooks/2016-honorees/linda-watson

Last Updated: 11 February 2016