To Asa Gray 21 February [1858]
Summary
Asks whether botanists tend to record varieties more carefully in large genera or small genera.
Wants information on the ranges of varieties of a species compared to the range of the species.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 21 Feb [1858] |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (21) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2218 |
To Asa Gray [after 15 March 1857]
Summary
Urges AG to generalise from his observations on the flora of the northern U. S.
Expected to find separation of sexes in trees because he believes all living beings require an occasional cross, and none is perpetually self-fertilising. The multitude of flowers of a tree would be an obstacle to cross-fertilisation unless the sexes tended to be separate.
The Leguminosae are CD’s greatest opposers; he cannot find that garden varieties ever cross. Could AG inquire of intelligent nurserymen on the subject?
Thanks AG for information on protean genera; much wants to know whether their great variability is due to their conditions of existence or is innate in them at all times and places.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | [after 15 Mar 1857] |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (8) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2060 |
To Asa Gray 18 June [1857]
Summary
Thanks for AG’s remarks on disjoined species. CD’s notions are based on belief that disjoined species have suffered much extinction, which is the common cause of small genera and disjoined ranges.
Discusses out-crossing in plants.
Has failed to meet with a detailed account of regular and normal impregnation in the bud. Podostemon, Subularia, and underwater Leguminosae are the strongest cases against him.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 18 June [1857] |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (9a) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2109 |
To Asa Gray 5 September [1857]
Summary
Encloses an abstract of his ideas on natural selection and the principle of divergence; the "means by which nature makes her species".
Discusses varieties and close species in large and small genera, finding some data from AG in conflict with his expectations.
Has been observing the action of bees in fertilising kidney beans and Lobelia.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 5 Sept [1857] |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (48) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2136 |
To Asa Gray 1 January [1857]
Summary
Thanks AG for 2d part of "Statistics [of the flora of the northern U. S.", Am. J. Sci. 2d ser. 22 (1856): 204–32; 2d ser. 23 (1857): 62–84, 369–403].
Is glad AG concludes species of large genera are wide-ranging, but is "riled" that he thinks the line of connection of alpine plants is through Greenland. Mentions comparisons of ranges worth investigating.
Believes trees show a tendency toward separation of the sexes and wonders if U. S. species bear this out. Asks which genera are protean in U. S.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 1 Jan [1857] |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (7) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2034 |
To Asa Gray 29 November [1857]
Summary
Thanks AG for his criticisms of CD’s views; finds it difficult to avoid using the term "natural selection" as an agent.
Discusses crossing in Fumaria and barnacles.
Has received a naturally crossed kidney bean in which the seed-coat has been affected by the pollen of the fertilising plant.
Finds the rule of large genera having most varieties holds good and regards it as most important for his "principle of divergence".
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 29 Nov [1857] |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (18) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2176 |
To Asa Gray 11 August [1858]
Summary
Species migration since the Pliocene. Effect of the glacial epoch. Present geographical distribution, especially similarities of mountain floras, explained by such migration; mountain summits as remnants of a once continuous flora and fauna.
Cross-fertilisation in Fumariaceae.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 11 Aug [1858] |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (42 and 9a) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2321 |
To Asa Gray 20 July [1857]
Summary
Believes species have arisen, like domestic varieties, with much extinction, and that there are no such things as independently created species. Explains why he believes species of the same genus generally have a common or continuous area; they are actual lineal descendants.
Discusses fertilisation in the bud and the insect pollination of papilionaceous flowers. His theory explains why, despite the risk of injury, cross-fertilisation is usual in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, even in hermaphrodites.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 20 July [1857] |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (9b) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2125 |
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 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 22 January [1862]
Summary
Dimorphism: "new cases are tumbling in almost daily".
U. S. politics.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 22 Jan [1862] |
Classmark: | Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (74) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3404 |
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 4 July 1858
Summary
Believes that, in Dicentra, Fumaria and Corydalis, flower structures are related directly to visits from bees. Flower stigmas generally are placed in the path of bees.
Has received paper from Wallace on natural selection; has sent abstract of his notions, with Wallace’s paper, to Linnean Society.
Author: | Charles Robert Darwin |
Addressee: | Asa Gray |
Date: | 4 July 1858 |
Classmark: | Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (20) |
Letter no: | DCP-LETT-2302 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … 1857] . See letter to Charles Lyell, 18 [June 1858] . Alfred Russel Wallace had set out for New Guinea on 25 March 1858. He returned to the island of Ternate three or four months later ( Wallace 1905 ,1: 363–4). CD’s and Wallace’s papers had been read at a meeting of the Linnean Society on 1 July 1858. See letter from J. D. Hooker …
letter | (13) |
Darwin, C. R. | (13) |
Gray, Asa |