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Darwin, C. R. in correspondent 
Gray, Asa in correspondent 
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
25 Apr [1855]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (1)
Summary:

Is collecting facts on variation; questions AG on the alpine flora of the U. S.

Sends a list of plants from AG’s Manual of botany [1848] and asks him to append the ranges of the species.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Asa Gray
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
22 May 1855
Source of text:
DAR 106: D1–D2
Summary:

Has filled up CD’s paper [see 1674].

Distribution and relationships of alpine flora in U. S.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
8 June [1855]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (2)
Summary:

Suggests AG append ranges to the species in the new edition of his Manual.

Is interested in comparing the flora of U. S. with that of Britain and wishes to know the proportions to the whole of the great leading families and the numbers of species within genera. Would welcome information on which species AG considers to be "close" in the U. S.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Asa Gray
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
30 June 1855
Source of text:
DAR 165: 92a
Summary:

Sends a list of "close" species from his Manual of botany.

Hopes Hooker or CD will write an essay on species. Discusses some of the difficulties of defining botanical species.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
21 July [1855]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (3)
Summary:

Geographical distribution. "Close" species. Hopes AG will write an essay on species.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
24 Aug [1855]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (10)
Summary:

"Close" species in large and small genera.

Alphonse de Candolle on geographical distribution [Géographie botanique raisonnée (1855)].

Species variability.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
2 May [1856]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (4)
Summary:

Suggests affinities of the U. S. flora that he considers would be worth investigating. Wants to know the ranges of species in large and small genera.

Questions AG on naturalised plants; whether any are social in U. S. which are not so elsewhere and how variable they are compared with indigenous species. Would like to know of any differences in the variability of species at different points of their ranges and also the physical states of plants at the extremes of their ranges.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
14 July [1856]
Source of text:
Archives of the New York Botanical Garden (Charles Finney Cox Collection)
Summary:

Asks whether Allegheny Mountains are sufficiently continuous so that plants could travel from north to south along them.

Hopes AG’s work on geographical distribution is progressing, as he has questions on plants common to Europe which do not range up to Arctic.

Are intermediate varieties less numerous in individuals than the varieties they connect?

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Asa Gray
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
[early Aug 1856]
Source of text:
DAR 165: 93
Summary:

Believes intermediate varieties are generally less numerous in individuals than the two states that they connect.

Discusses the difficulties of deciding what is the typical form of a species

and gives some opinions on the variability of introduced species compared with indigenous species.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
24 Aug [1856]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (36)
Summary:

Rarity of intermediate varieties.

Variability of introduced plants.

Ranges of plants common to Europe and U. S.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Asa Gray
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
23 Sept 1856
Source of text:
DAR 165: 94
Summary:

Plants that are social in the U. S. but are not so in the Old World.

Distribution of U. S. species common to Europe.

Gives Theodor Engelmann’s opinion on the relative variability of indigenous and introduced plants and notes the effects of man’s settlement on the numbers and distribution of indigenous plants.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
12 Oct [1856]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (6)
Summary:

Thanks AG for the first part of his "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]

and for information on social and varying plants.

Would like to know number of genera of introduced plants in U. S.

Is surprised at some affinities of northern U. S. flora and asks for any climatic explanations.

Asks what proportion of genera common to U. S. and Europe are mundane.

Is glad AG will work out the northern ranges of the European species and the ranges of species with regard to size of genera.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Asa Gray
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
4 Nov 1856
Source of text:
DAR 165: 95
Summary:

Outlines the ranges of northern U. S. species common to Europe. Hopes to investigate the resemblances between the floras of the north-eastern U. S. and western Europe. Discusses routes by which alpine plants appear to have reached U. S.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
24 Nov [1856]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (5)
Summary:

Variability of naturalised plants.

Distribution of Arctic/alpine plant species.

Limits to the northern range of plants.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
1 Jan [1857]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (7)
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.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Asa Gray
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
16 Feb 1857
Source of text:
DAR 165: 96
Summary:

Discusses the ranges of alpine species in U. S. and considers the possible migration routes of such species from Europe.

Lists those U. S. genera which he considers protean and describes the U. S. character of some genera which are protean in Europe.

Describes how he distinguishes introduced and aboriginal stocks of the same species.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
[after 15 Mar 1857]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (8)
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.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Charles Robert Darwin
To:
Asa Gray
Date:
9 May [1857]
Source of text:
Archives of the Gray Herbarium, Harvard University (9)
Summary:

Thanks for new part of "Statistics".

Interested in disjoined species; do they tend to belong to large or small genera, and are they generally members of small families?

Is glad AG will tackle introduced plants; has noticed that the proportion of a particular family to the whole flora tends to be similar in introduced and indigenous plants.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
From:
Asa Gray
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
[c. 24 May 1857]
Source of text:
DAR 165: 97
Summary:

Discusses difficulties involved in deciding which genera are protean in the light of some comments by H. C. Watson.

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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From:
Asa Gray
To:
Charles Robert Darwin
Date:
1 June 1857
Source of text:
DAR 8: 47bA
Summary:

Comments on species with disjoined ranges; does not feel, despite CD’s expectations, that they tend to belong to small families.

Gives the proportion of U. S. trees in which the sexes are separate [see Natural selection, p. 62].

Contributor:
Darwin Correspondence Project
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