Description: (The Most Prominent Botanist of the 19th Century)
Asa Gray was a renowned American botanist in the 19th century, celebrated for his substantial impact on the field of botany. As a Harvard University professor, he engaged with prominent scientists and partnered with Charles Darwin. Gray highlighted the genetic relationships between species and endorsed Darwin's evolutionary theory. His efforts to consolidate taxonomic information were noteworthy, notably through his influential work, the Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States. Gray also conducted research on the "Asa Gray disjunction" and had several plants and structures named after him.