To Asa Gray 11 May [1863]
Summary
CD despairs when men like AG and Lyell consider themselves incapable of judging on change of species by descent.
Is confused over phyllotaxy.
Has been looking at Plantago lanceolata.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 11 May [1863] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (59) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4153 |
To Asa Gray 6 November [1862]
Summary
Agrees Max Müller’s book [see 3752] is interesting but cannot see how it will further his "cause".
A book by J. W. Colenso [The Pentateuch and book of Joshua critically examined, pt 1 (1862)] has just appeared and will "make a noise".
Would like some observations made on Cypripedium.
Will not publish yet on Lythrum as he must make many more crosses; the mid-styled is fertile with half of its own stamens.
Would like to try a few experiments on tendrils.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 6 Nov [1862] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (78) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3796 |
To Asa Gray 20 April [1863]
Summary
Fears England and U. S. will drift into war; he and AG must "keep to Science".
Thanks for facts on Incas; regrets he has always avoided the case of man.
Has sent his Linum paper [Collected papers 2: 93–105].
Is it true that Ohio has legislated against marriage of cousins?
Can AG explain the invariable angles in phyllotaxy; are they the consequence of packing in the early bud?
Owen’s comments on heterogeny in the Athenæum [28 Mar 1863] have vexed W. B. Carpenter; CD has replied [Collected papers 2: 78–80].
Hopes AG will observe Gymnadenia; John Scott has been experimenting on its fertilisation.
Gives his observation on pollination of Cypripedium.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 20 Apr [1863] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (51) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4110 |
To Asa Gray 13 September [1864]
Summary
Has finished Climbing plants;
resuming work on Variation.
Sends abstract of John Scott’s paper [see 4332].
Has received review of Herbert Spencer but cannot believe AG wrote it unless he has muddled his brains with metaphysics.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 13 Sept [1864] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (89) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4611 |
To Asa Gray 7 December 1870
Summary
Believes AG’s cases of incipient dimorphism are due to mere variability. Has found examples in Nolana and Amsinckia; believes such variation is the basis for the development of dimorphism. Was unaware of variations in Phlox.
Sensitivity of Drosera and Dionaea.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 7 Dec 1870 |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (90) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-7388 |
To Asa Gray 29 October [1864]
Summary
Sends question [missing] for an ornithologist.
Is plodding on at Variation.
Has added to Climbing plants.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 29 Oct [1864] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (88) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4647 |
To Asa Gray 28 May [1864]
Summary
Is slowly writing Lythrum paper [Collected papers 2: 106–31].
Thanks for [Charles?] Wright’s observations on orchids
– could he note what attracts insects to Begonia and Melastoma? H. Crüger, who was going to observe Melastomataceae, has died.
Describes the climbing habits of Bignonia capreolata and Eccremocarpus scaber.
How does AG know the perfect flowers of Voandzeia are quite sterile?
He has a case of dimorphism in holly; asks AG to report on American hollies.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 28 May [1864] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (79) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4511 |
Matches: 4 hits
- … 11 July 1864 and n. 5, and ‘Climbing plants’ , pp. 56–9). See also letter to J. D. Hooker, 4 December [1864] and n. 13. …
- … 11 July 1864 ). No letter from Wright responding to CD’s queries has been found. For CD’s many inquiries into the habits of insects visiting flowers of the family Melastomataceae see, for example, letter from A. R. Wallace, 2 January 1864 and n. 13. CD refers to Hermann Crüger , director of the Botanic Garden, Trinidad. See letter …
- … 13 April [1864] and nn. 9–10, and letter from William Bennett, 29 April 1864 , n. 4. Gray sent specimens of Campanula perfoliata ( Specularia perfoliata ) in 1863; however, CD put the specimens in warm water to soak the flowers before he realised that they had seeds. Evidently the seeds failed to germinate (see Correspondence vol. 11, …
- … letter to CD of 17 January 1865 ( Correspondence vol. 13). In Gray 1862b , p. 419, Gray divided dimorphism into two classes, ‘diœcio-dimorphism’ (now called heterostyly), and ‘precocious fertilization’ (now called cleistogamy). CD had long been investigating a third class of dimorphism that he later called ‘gyno-dioecism’, in which plants have female flowers and flowers of an ordinary hermaphrodite form on different plants (see, for example, Correspondence vol. 11, …
To Asa Gray 10–20 June [1862]
Summary
Thanks AG for praise of Orchids and his notes on several American species of orchid. Comments on AG’s observations.
Is experimenting [on dimorphism] with Rhexia and Melastoma.
Asks AG’s opinion of a paper by Thomas Meehan ["On the uniformity of relative characters between allied species of European and American trees", Proc. Philadelphia Acad. Nat. Sci. (1862): 10–13] which is the best case of the apparently direct action of the conditions of life CD has seen.
Requests postage stamp for his ill son [Leonard].
Thanks AG for observations on Cypripedium and gives recent observations of his own.
Arethusa is very pretty; structure seems like that of Vanilla.
Finds the little (so-called imperfect) flowers of Viola and Oxalis curious: the pollen-grains emit their tubes whilst within the anthers, and they travel in straight lines right to the stigmas.
Sympathises with events in the U. S.
Reports on French translation of Origin by Mlle C. Royer, "one of the cleverest & oddest women in Europe".
Alphonse de Candolle says he wants direct proof of natural selection; "he will have to wait a long time for that".
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 10–20 June [1862] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (66) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3595 |
To Asa Gray 1 July [1862]
Summary
Thanks for notes on Cypripedium and Platanthera hookeri, which is really beautiful and quite a new case.
His son, George, has been observing the insect fertilisation of orchids.
CD has been crossing peloric flowers of Pelargonium, but doubts he will get good results with respect to sterility of hybrids.
Rhexia glandulosa does not appear to be dimorphic. Lythrum is trimorphic.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 1 July [1862] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (69) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3634 |
To Asa Gray 19 April [1865]
Summary
Congratulates AG on the "grand news of Richmond".
Still interested in dimorphism and would welcome new cases.
Working on Variation
and correcting proofs of Climbing plants.
Would like seed of AG’s dimorphic Plantago.
Cannot understand how the wind could fertilise reciprocally dimorphic flowers.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 19 Apr [1865] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (77) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4467 |
To Asa Gray 28 January 1876
Summary
Thanks for reviews of Insectivorous plants and of Climbing plants in Nation and American Journal Science [see 10329].
AG’s essay on seed dispersal ["Burs in the borage family", Am. Nat. 10 (1876): 1–4].
Preparing book on advantages of crossing [Cross and self-fertilisation].
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 28 Jan 1876 |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (111) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10370 |
To Asa Gray 2 January [1863]
Summary
Thanks AG for Cypripedium and Mitchella.
Plans to investigate pollination of Cypripedium.
Has finished Linum paper [Collected papers 2: 93–105].
Would welcome facts on "bud-variations".
Hears that Cinchona is dimorphic.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 2 Jan [1863] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (56) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3897 |
Matches: 2 hits
- … letter to William Erasmus Darwin of [13 December 1862] (DAR 219.1: 69), Emma Darwin commented: ‘Your father is constantly plagued with slight attacks of exema which make him very uncomf—’. See Correspondence vol. 10, letters from Asa Gray , 24 November 1862 and 9 December 1862 . Gray had sent CD a box containing specimens of Mitchella and Cypripedium via James Anderson , captain of the transatlantic steamer Africa (see Correspondence vol. 10, letter from Asa Gray, 9 December 1862 , and letter to James Anderson, 23 December [1862] ). In his letter of 11 …
- … 13 May 1863 ( General index to the Journal of the Linnean Society , p. vi). However, CD obtained a number of offprints of the paper in mid-April for distribution; Gray’s name appears on CD’s presentation list (see Correspondence vol. 11, Appendix IV). Letter …
To Asa Gray 15 April [1867]
Summary
Thanks AG for his trouble about expression queries; wishes he had thought earlier of having them printed.
Is "plodding on" correcting Variation
and getting "a little amusement" from plant experiments. Oxalis is trimorphic like Lythrum.
Is continuing his experiments on seedling vigour.
Has heard hybrid potatoes can be produced by joining halves of different tubers.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 15 Apr [1867] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (97) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-5442 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … letter from J. D. Hooker, 13 April 1867 . CD revised the page-proofs of Variation between March and November 1867 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)). CD and Friedrich Hildebrand had worked simultaneously on the trimorphism of Oxalis ; see Forms of flowers , pp. 169–83, and Correspondence vol. 14, letter from Friedrich Hildebrand, 11 …
To Asa Gray 15 August [1865]
Summary
Gratified by AG’s praise of "Climbing plants".
Thanks for Specularia seed.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 15 Aug [1865] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (87) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4882 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … 11, letter to Asa Gray, 23 February [1863] and nn. 22–3; for more on the bias of The Times in reporting the war, see Brogan ed. 1975 and Jenkins 1974–80 , 2: 46–50). Emma Darwin cancelled their subscription to The Times at one point because of her indignation with the reporting of the war (see Correspondence vol. 12, letter to Asa Gray, 29 October [1864] and n. 13). …