Biography

Cyril Nelson (also known as Cirilo) is a Honduran-born botanist at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. Born in La Ceiba, Atlántida, he initially trained as a biology and chemistry teacher. After a few years working in primary and secondary schools he was recruited by the National Autonomous University in Tegucigalpa as a laboratory instructor (1961-1965). He then took his master's degree (1965) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and on his return to Honduras co-founded the herbarium at the university in Tegucigalpa with Fred A. Barkley in 1970. He became its director and curator in 1971, as well as a professor of botany. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in biological sciences at the same university in 1985.

Since 1980 Nelson has been Coordinator for Honduras for the Flora Mesoamericana project and has held numerous other positions facilitating botanical efforts in Honduras, in particular directing floristic surveys. He has had a long-running involvement in the International Organisation for Science and Technology Education (IOSTE), representing Mexico and Central America on its executive board from 1985-1994 and from 1999-2003, and serving as the organisation's vice president from 1991-1994. He has also served as Secretary of the Honduras National Academy of Sciences (1987-1992), of which he was a founding member in 1983.

Nelson's chief research interests are the flora of Honduras and the Mesoamerican Haemodoraceae and Cyrillaceae. He has led a plethora of inventories, most recently in the Central District of Honduras (2004) but also covering national parks and botanic gardens. As well as field work he has conducted much research into historic documentation of the flora of Honduras. His most recent book, Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Honduras, espermatofitas (Catalogue of the vascular plants of Honduras, spermatophytes), was published in 2008. Nelson has received many prizes in recognition of his services to botany in Honduras and has had many plant taxa dedicated to him, including Psychotria cyrilli-nelsonii Ant.Molina and Diplazium nelsonianum A.Rojas.

Sources:
Personal communication, November 2009.

Biography

Cyril Nelson (also known as Cirilo) is a Honduran-born botanist at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. Born in La Ceiba, Atlántida, he initially trained as a biology and chemistry teacher. After a few years working in primary and secondary schools he was recruited by the National Autonomous University in Tegucigalpa as a laboratory instructor (1961-1965). He then took his master's degree (1965) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and on his return to Honduras co-founded the herbarium at the university in Tegucigalpa with Fred A. Barkley in 1970. He became its director and curator in 1971, as well as a professor of botany. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in biological sciences at the same university in 1985.

Since 1980 Nelson has been Coordinator for Honduras for the Flora Mesoamericana project and has held numerous other positions facilitating botanical efforts in Honduras, in particular directing floristic surveys. He has had a long-running involvement in the International Organisation for Science and Technology Education (IOSTE), representing Mexico and Central America on its executive board from 1985-1994 and from 1999-2003, and serving as the organisation's vice president from 1991-1994. He has also served as Secretary of the Honduras National Academy of Sciences (1987-1992), of which he was a founding member in 1983.

Nelson's chief research interests are the flora of Honduras and the Mesoamerican Haemodoraceae and Cyrillaceae. He has led a plethora of inventories, most recently in the Central District of Honduras (2004) but also covering national parks and botanic gardens. As well as field work he has conducted much research into historic documentation of the flora of Honduras. His most recent book, Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Honduras, espermatofitas (Catalogue of the vascular plants of Honduras, spermatophytes), was published in 2008. Nelson has received many prizes in recognition of his services to botany in Honduras and has had many plant taxa dedicated to him, including Psychotria cyrilli-nelsonii Ant.Molina and Diplazium nelsonianum A.Rojas.

Sources:
Personal communication, November 2009.

Biography

Cyril Nelson (also known as Cirilo) is a Honduran-born botanist at the National Autonomous University of Honduras. Born in La Ceiba, Atlántida, he initially trained as a biology and chemistry teacher. After a few years working in primary and secondary schools he was recruited by the National Autonomous University in Tegucigalpa as a laboratory instructor (1961-1965). He then took his master's degree (1965) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and on his return to Honduras co-founded the herbarium at the university in Tegucigalpa with Fred A. Barkley in 1970. He became its director and curator in 1971, as well as a professor of botany. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in biological sciences at the same university in 1985.

Since 1980 Nelson has been Coordinator for Honduras for the Flora Mesoamericana project and has held numerous other positions facilitating botanical efforts in Honduras, in particular directing floristic surveys. He has had a long-running involvement in the International Organisation for Science and Technology Education (IOSTE), representing Mexico and Central America on its executive board from 1985-1994 and from 1999-2003, and serving as the organisation's vice president from 1991-1994. He has also served as Secretary of the Honduras National Academy of Sciences (1987-1992), of which he was a founding member in 1983.

Nelson's chief research interests are the flora of Honduras and the Mesoamerican Haemodoraceae and Cyrillaceae. He has led a plethora of inventories, most recently in the Central District of Honduras (2004) but also covering national parks and botanic gardens. As well as field work he has conducted much research into historic documentation of the flora of Honduras. His most recent book, Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Honduras, espermatofitas (Catalogue of the vascular plants of Honduras, spermatophytes), was published in 2008. Nelson has received many prizes in recognition of his services to botany in Honduras and has had many plant taxa dedicated to him, including Psychotria cyrilli-nelsonii Ant.Molina and Diplazium nelsonianum A.Rojas.

Sources:
Personal communication, November 2009.