Talk:Prunus grayana

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[edit] Asa gray

I did the bulk of this article. There is a piece of information missing and the article needs it if it is going to say something more than the ordinary about the cultural history of the plant, and that is the connection between Asa gray and Maximowicz. What I suspect and what the information I can get my hands on implies is that Maxim. read Asa Gray, "List of Dried Plants Collected in Japan, by S. Wells Williams, Esq., and Dr. James Morrow" in Volume 2, pages 3-5-32 of "Narrative of the expedition of an American squadron to the China Seas and Japan, performed in the years 1852, 1853, and 1854, under the command of the commodore M. C. Perry, United States Navy". This list if it describes what became Prunus grayana would be the first known publication of the plant. Otherwise why would Maxim. pick Asa Gray? There is scant mention of Maxim. in the letters of Asa and only years after the publication of the list. They didn't know each other. What I lack is the publication connecting Gray and Maxim. for sure. I can read the GRIN database just like anyone else but I can't read Maxim. because I don't have him and I doubt if many people do. He might not even give his reasons. So if anyone has knowledge or has read the list and/or Maxim., how about taking an interest in public education and give us a reference or two? Until the then I guess it will just have to stay "after Asa Gray", although I doubt that very much. The term is Grayana, "concerning Gray". It is touches like this that would make this article worth reading over all the many others that exist.Dave 22:26, 25 August 2007 (UTC)