2026 William E. Friedman: Plant Science and Agronomy Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Plant Science and Agronomy	43	3326	3101	836	747	95	5439

Research.com Recognitions

2010 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
1989 - Fellow of American Physical Society (APS) Citation For many contributions to the understanding of statistical decay products of heavyion collisions, especially those involving finalstate interactions

Overview

What is he best known for?

The fields of study he is best known for:

Botany
Gene
Flowering plant

William E. Friedman mainly investigates Botany, Endosperm, Gametophyte, Embryo and Ploidy. His study in the field of Double fertilization is also linked to topics like Phalaenopsis amabilis. As a member of one scientific family, William E. Friedman mostly works in the field of Double fertilization, focusing on Sperm and, on occasion, Human fertilization, Arabidopsis thaliana, Pollen, Arabidopsis and Pollen tube.

His work carried out in the field of Endosperm brings together such families of science as Character evolution and Ontogeny. The study incorporates disciplines such as Lycopodium, Austrobaileyales, Hydatellaceae and Nymphaeales in addition to Gametophyte. His Phylogenetics study combines topics in areas such as Gnetum and Sexual reproduction.

His most cited work include:

The meaning of Darwin’s “abominable mystery” (148 citations)
The evolution of plant development (123 citations)
Expression of the cell cycle in sperm of Arabidopsis: implications for understanding patterns of gametogenesis and fertilization in plants and other eukaryotes (120 citations)

What are the main themes of his work throughout his whole career to date?

His scientific interests lie mostly in Botany, Gametophyte, Endosperm, Double fertilization and Nymphaeales. Many of his studies involve connections with topics such as Phylogenetic tree and Botany. His Gametophyte research includes elements of Sporophyte, Heterochrony, Ontogeny, Evolutionary biology and Ginkgo biloba.

His Endosperm research is multidisciplinary, incorporating perspectives in Phylogenetics, Basal angiosperms, Ploidy and Germination. His Double fertilization research incorporates themes from Sexual reproduction, Gnetum, Gnetum gnemon, Embryo and Human fertilization. William E. Friedman has included themes like Hydatellaceae, Trimeniaceae, Nymphaea thermarum, Flowering plant and Austrobaileyales in his Nymphaeales study.

He most often published in these fields:

Botany (77.78%)
Gametophyte (35.56%)
Endosperm (35.56%)

What were the highlights of his more recent work (between 2011-2021)?

Botany (77.78%)
Endosperm (35.56%)
Nymphaeales (17.78%)

In recent papers he was focusing on the following fields of study:

William E. Friedman focuses on Botany, Endosperm, Nymphaeales, Ovule and Flowering plant. His studies in Botany integrate themes in fields like Spatial ecology and Ecology. His research in Endosperm intersects with topics in Dormancy, Germination and Double fertilization.

His biological study spans a wide range of topics, including Ploidy and Human fertilization. His work carried out in the field of Nymphaeales brings together such families of science as Basal angiosperms and Nymphaea thermarum. William E. Friedman interconnects Evolutionary biology and Austrobaileyales in the investigation of issues within Flowering plant.

Between 2011 and 2021, his most popular works were:

Spatial structuring of bacterial communities within individual Ginkgo biloba trees. (59 citations)
Embryology in Trithuria submersa (Hydatellaceae) and relationships between embryo, endosperm, and perisperm in early-diverging flowering plants. (22 citations)
Floral biology and ovule and seed ontogeny of Nymphaea thermarum, a water lily at the brink of extinction with potential as a model system for basal angiosperms (21 citations)

Best Publications

The meaning of Darwin’s “abominable mystery”

William E. Friedman

282
Citations
The evolution of plant development

William E. Friedman;Richard C. Moore;Michael D. Purugganan

199
Citations
Identification of diploid endosperm in an early angiosperm lineage

Joseph H. Williams;William E. Friedman

184
Citations
Expression of the cell cycle in sperm of Arabidopsis: implications for understanding patterns of gametogenesis and fertilization in plants and other eukaryotes

William E. Friedman

162
Citations
SHOOTLESSNESS, VELAMENTOUS ROOTS, AND THE PRE-EMINENCE OF ORCHIDACEAE IN THE EPIPHYTIC BIOTOPE.

D. H. Benzing;W. E. Friedman;G. Peterson;A. Renfrow

157
Citations
Double fertilization in ephedra, a nonflowering seed plant: its bearing on the origin of angiosperms.

William E. Friedman

144
Citations
A laccase-like phenoloxidase is correlated with lignin biosynthesis in Zinnia elegans stem tissues

Lan Liu;Jeffrey F.D. Dean;William E. Friedman;Karl-Erik L. Eriksson

144
Citations
The evolution of double fertilization and endosperm: an ”historical” perspective

William E. Friedman

135
Citations
The four-celled female gametophyte of Illicium (Illiciaceae; Austrobaileyales): implications for understanding the origin and early evolution of monocots, eumagnoliids,and eudicots

Joseph H. Williams;William E. Friedman

128
Citations
Roots of Sobralia macrantha (Orchidaceae): structure and function of the velamen-exodermis complex.

D. H. Benzing;D. W. Ott;W. E. Friedman

124
Citations
Evolution of Endosperm Developmental Patterns among Basal Flowering Plants

Sandra K. Floyd;William E. Friedman

123
Citations
Spatial structuring of bacterial communities within individual Ginkgo biloba trees.

Jonathan W. Leff;Jonathan W. Leff;Peter Del Tredici;William E. Friedman;Noah Fierer;Noah Fierer

119
Citations
Arbuscular mycorrhizal associations in Lycopodiaceae.

Jennifer L. Winther;William E. Friedman

118
Citations
Physcomitrella cyclin-dependent kinase A links cell cycle reactivation to other cellular changes during reprogramming of leaf cells.

Masaki Ishikawa;Takashi Murata;Takashi Murata;Yoshikatsu Sato;Tomoaki Nishiyama;Tomoaki Nishiyama

118
Citations
Reconstructing the ancestral female gametophyte of angiosperms: Insights from Amborella and other ancient lineages of flowering plants

William E. Friedman;Kirsten C. Ryerson

117
Citations
Female gametophyte and early seed development in Peperomia (Piperaceae)

Eric N. Madrid;William E. Friedman

117
Citations
Evidence of a pre-angiosperm origin of endosperm: implications for the evolution of flowering plants.

William E. Friedman

113
Citations
Developmental Selection within the Angiosperm Style: Using Gamete DNA to Visualize Interspecific Pollen Competition

J. H. Williams;W. E. Friedman;M. L. Arnold

113
Citations
The origin and early evolution of tracheids in vascular plants: integration of palaeobotanical and neobotanical data

William E. Friedman;Martha E. Cook

111
Citations
Embryological evidence for developmental lability during early angiosperm evolution

William E. Friedman

108
Citations
The evolution of embryogeny in seed plants and the developmental origin and early history of endosperm

William E. Friedman

106
Citations
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MALE GAMETOPHYTE OF GINKGO BILOBA WITHIN THE OVULE (IN VIVO)

William E. Friedman

100
Citations