Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0014350, Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:54:38 -0500

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Addendum: Purple loosestrife in PF
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A little more checking reveals that purple loosestrife is indeed
sometimes known as purple willow-herb.

See here:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Lythrum+salicaria

Salicaria is a reference to the willow-like leaves of the
loosestrife. While we can't know if this is what VN (or CK)
intended, a reference to purple loosestrife would be fitting,
since it is originally from Eurasia, then came to America
(as ship ballast) and has become a huge problem, particularly in the
northeast.

I'm not sure of the relative attractiveness of loosestrife as
opposed to other kinds of willow-herb/fireweed. That might be the key
to figuring out which plant CK was noting.

Matthew Roth is sorry for posting twice

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