Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 - January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century. Founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery" or the first " Rural cemetery " Mount Auburn Cemetery is an Elysium where traditionally Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1888 ( MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life [1]
He was instrumental in unifying the taxonomic knowledge of the plants of North America. Taxonomy is the practice and science of classification The word comes from the Greek, taxis (meaning 'order' 'arrangement' and, nomos Of Gray's many works on botany, the most popular was his Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States, from New England to Wisconsin and South to Ohio and Pennsylvania Inclusive. This book, known simply as Gray's Manual, has gone through a number of editions with botanical illustrations by Isaac Sprague, and remains a standard in the field. Isaac Sprague (September 5 1811 - 1895 was a self-taught landscape botanical and ornithological painter
He was born in Sauquoit, New York in 1810, and became an M.D. in 1831. Sauquoit is a hamlet in the Town of Paris, Oneida County, New York, USA. Doctor of Medicine ( MD or MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine" is a doctoral However, he relinquished medicine for botany, and in 1842 was appointed professor of natural history at Harvard University, a post he retained until 1873 while living in the Asa Gray House. The Asa Gray House is a historic house located at 88 Garden Street Cambridge Massachusetts. Through the donation of an immense book and plant collection numbering in the thousands, he effectively created the botany department at Harvard; the Gray Herbarium is named after him.
He was a pupil of John Torrey, with whom he worked closely; they published the Flora of North America together, the first of many of Gray's works. John Torrey ( August 15, 1796 &ndash March 10, 1873) was an American botanist.
Corresponding with Charles Darwin, Gray was helpful in providing information for the development of Darwin's theory on The Origin of Species. Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life The Development of Darwin's theory began with a search for explanations of contradictions in current faith based ideas, and led him to formulate his Theory of evolution Charles Darwin 's On the Origin of Species (published 24 November 1859) is a seminal work in Scientific literature and arguably the He was a staunch supporter of Darwin in America, and collected together a number of his own writings to produce an influential book, Darwiniana. These essays argued for a conciliation between Darwinian evolution and the tenets of orthodox Protestant Christianity, at a time when many on both sides perceived the two as mutually exclusive.
The Asa Gray Award, the highest award of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, was established in 1984 to honor a living botanist for career achievements. The American Society of Plant Taxonomists (ASPT is a botanical organization formed in 1935 to "foster encourage and promote education and research in the field of
Grayanotoxin is named after him. Grayanotoxin is a Toxin found in Rhododendrons and other plants of the family Ericaceae.
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Notes
- ^ Biographies of scientists and explorers. Retrieved on 2007-10-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela.
- ^ Brummitt, R. K. ; C. E. Powell (1992). Authors of Plant Names. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are extensive Gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and ISBN 1-84246-085-4.
References
- Asa Gray. Dictionary of American Biography. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928-1936.
- Asa Gray. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.
- Asa Gray. Plant Sciences. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2001.
Further reading
- Dupree, A. H. Asa Gray, 1810-1888. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1959.
- Gray, Jane Loring, ed. Letters of Asa Gray. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1893. Includes autobiography, 1810-1843.
- Scientific Papers of Asa Gray, Volume I, selected by Charles Sprague Sargent
- Scientific Papers of Asa Gray, Volume II, selected by Charles Sprague Sargent
- Works by Asa Gray at Project Gutenberg
- Charles Darwin and Asa Gray Discuss Teleology and Design, by Sara Joan Miles. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works (American Scientific Affiliation)
- Brief Biography and timeline of Asa Gray's life at the website of the Gray Herbarium in Harvard
External links
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