The Origin of Species · Character

Asa Gray

America's foremost botanist and one of Darwin's earliest champions, lending the dangerous new theory scientific weight on the far side of the Atlantic.

supporting

Also known as Asa Gray, Dr. Asa, Dr. Asa Gray, Dr. Gray, Professor Asa Gray

First appearance: i variation under domestication

As a supporting figure in The Origin of Species, Asa Gray is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Quoted commenting on De Candolle's oak memoir, noting that characters used in specific definitions often vary on the same tree.

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Gray belongs to the small circle of authorities Darwin cites to show that the idea of species as permanent, separately created kinds was already crumbling before his book appeared. Darwin gathers precursors like Wells, Herbert, and Grant, each glimpsing part of the truth, and Gray's botanical standing helps legitimize the pattern they all missed. His presence signals that this is not one man's speculation but a conclusion converging from many directions.

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See Asa Gray in i variation under domestication

Character Web

6 connections

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Broad intellectual network
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because Darwin shifts from a defensive posture against objectio…

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Relationships

Charles Darwin
friendship · positive
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See Asa Gray in i variation under domestication

In the story

Asa Gray appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Doubtful Species
Quoted commenting on De Candolle's oak memoir, noting that characters used in specific definitions often vary on the same tree.
Natural Selection; or the Survival of the Fittest
Cited alongside Hooker for the same remark on variability under domestication.
Illustrations of the Action of Natural Selection, or the Survival of the Fittest
Cited regarding intermediate dioecious conditions in North American holly species.
Divergence of Character
Darwin cites Dr. Asa Gray's Manual of the Flora of the Northern United States to provide data on naturalised plants and their diverse genera.
Distinct Species Present Analogous Variations, So That a Variety of One Species Often Assumes a Character Proper to an Allied Species, or Reverts to Some of the Characters of an Early Progenitor
Figured a quagga specimen with zebra-like bars on the hocks.
On the Absence or Rarity of Transitional Varieties
Provided information on the rarity of intermediate varieties.
Geographical Distribution
Mentioned as having shown that more plants are identical between the New and Old Worlds than was formerly supposed.
Dispersal During the Glacial Period
Showed that more plants are identical between Europe and America than formerly supposed; also noted plants on White Mountains are same as those of Labrador and Europe.

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See Asa Gray in i variation under domestication

See Asa Gray in Doubtful Species