f 
Excerpts from Gray's letters regarding 1851-32 coll ection 
and the Plantae Wrightianae ^ ' ~ 
In Gray's letter to Wright, dated June 5, 1852, he announces that he 
has just received the second lot of the 185I-52 collections, delivered 
by Graham, and has received the plant-list by mail (from Wright). He 
continues,- ”1 think I shall distribute thus, 1) a full set saved up for 
yourself, 2 ) Dr. Short, ) Dr. Torrey (selection, what he will need), Q) 
Mr. Lowell (especially those he has not before), ^) Hooker, 6) Mr. Boissier 
(who had nonebefore and will pay well), 7) Engelmann (especially his favorite 
families), 8j Mr. Carey (if he will subscribe and pay), 9 ) Bentham ( I shall 
take some for him), 10J some one of the foreign subscribers, 11) etc. ” 
A set also went to the Government according to agreement with Col. Graham. 
Gray also wrote ,”1 shall somehow distribute your 1851 collections very soon; 
name them jtp to the end of Compositae and in the course of the summer determine 
many of the Monopetalous families. I have already named and described a few 
of these and some Apetalse to please Col. Graham, and named a new Pentstemon 
after him (which I have growing too) which compliment seems to gratify him." 
Gray's letter of Jan. 23, 1852,- "...I am printing on the Plantae Wrightiana e. 
• • • 
the 1st part of which (as I work in so much general matter, especially 
Tex.-Mexican) to the end of Compositae^ will make 227 pages or more, with 10 
plates — the most important memoir I ever wrote — and will indelibly fix our 
names on the Texas-N.Mexican Flora. ' I mail you herewith sheets numbered 
3 , 4, 5 i and - when I go down to the Printing Office will send you 2 or 3 more, 
and the rest as they come off. You will see that I work in novelties from the 
/'? r / *' < 
new collection. 
Gray in his letter of June,7,1850 wrote,"I send you the first sheet 
of Plantae Wrightianae”. In lay,6,1850 he had written,- "I begin to print 
Plantae Wrightianae,quarto, before I go (to •— study in England — 
and publish the rest this autumn with several figures. Sprague is already 
at work on them.” Gray returned from Europe Sept.1852. 
