Lupin, the flower (Was: Pippin, you've done it again!)

[Katrina]

No: HPFGUIDX 82894

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Iggy McSnurd"
<coyoteschild at p...> wrote:
> 
> > Lupin:  A poisonous purple flower.


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Catlady (Rita Prince 
Winston)" <catlady at w...> wrote:
> 
> Originally a white flower used for cattle feed, and named "lupin"  
> because its throat was thought to look like a wolf's head. What is 
> the throat of a flower? Said to be the flower thrown at people 
> during the Floralia (a flower festival said to be dedicated to 
> Venus) because one of Venus's titles was The Wolf, and one of the 
> nicknames of the red light district was The Wolf Den.

Katrina's Reply:

A literal etymology of the plant name can be found at: 
http://www.etymonline.com/l4etym.htm

"lupine - 1660, from Fr. lupine "wolflike," from L. lupinus "of the 
wolf," from lupus "wolf." The plant name is 14c., from L. lupinus; 
but the reason for association with the animal is unclear"

Lupin, a member of the pea family, has a long and interesting 
history.  Actually, both Iggy and Catlady are correct.  The variety 
of lupin used for fodder, White Lupin, has been cultivated since the 
time of the Ancient Egyptians.  (Another tie to Egypt? Hmmmm.)  The 
Romans also cultivated White Lupin for food.  

Plants of this genus were once thought to rob the soil of nutrients 
because they tend to grow in poor soils. We now know that Lupines 
can occur on the poorest of soils because they collect atmospheric 
nitrogen and actually make the soil richer in nutrients. 

Culpepper (Of Culpepper's Herbal) claims that Lupin is governed by 
Mars in Ares and 'The seeds, somewhat bitter in taste, opening and 
cleansing, good to destroy worms. Outwardly they are used against 
deformities of the skin, scabby ulcers, scald heads, and other 
cutaneous distempers.' 

Mars. . . Interesting.

Lupin is still used today as a cover and fodder crop.  Especially 
for sheep. 

Lupinosis, an acute atrophy of the liver in domestic animals (such 
as sheep) has not been linked to any specific variety of lupin.  It 
is believed now that a specific fungus is the cause of the poisoning.

To bring this back to the Potterverse, I noticed that the German 
name for Lupin is Wolfsbohne.  The literal translation is "Wolf 
bean." 

A couple of very nice photos of the White Lupin can be found at 
http://www.rootgrafix.com/herbalnexus/p_lupine.htm

Katrina
Who wishes all her herbal books weren't packed in boxes in the 
garage. . .