Standing on the shoulders of giants: the contributions of Paul Fryxell to our understanding of Gossypium taxonomy and evolution

Paul Fryxell (1927-2011) was an American botanist and cotton specialist who spent the majority of his career as a research scientist for the United States Department of Agriculture in College Station, Texas (USA), until he retired in 1994. His taxonomic focus was the Malvaceae, a large and complex plant family. His goals were to broadly understand the evolutionary history and processes that gave rise to diversity in nature, using the many tools of plant systematics that were available during his career. The outcome of much of his work was enhanced taxonomic understanding and new taxonomic syntheses, as embodied in over 200 scientific publications. On a personal note, Paul Fryxell was a kind and gentle person who conveyed warmth and generosity to all in his presence, as well as conviviality. He was an exceptional mentor, who personally “took me under his wing” when I was an assistant professor in the 1980s, helping educate me about the splendors of diversity in Gossypium.