Matt Roth made a correction: ..."one
assumption from my post on Ampelis & Parthenocissus. I said that the
Parthenocissus in question was "absolutely" Parthenocissus quinquefolia
(Virginia creeper) but "ivy" of the Ivy League colleges like Cornell is
Boston Ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata (also mentioned in the W2 definition of
Ampelopsis). The overall point remains the same, but I probably spoke too soon
when I assumed Virginia creeper."
JM: More than two references on parthenocissus are searchable in the
Nabokov-Archives ( from which I selected two samples):
1. item #98, July 2003 on "Parthenocissus Hall"
Parthenocissus is a grape vine, and as as
such VN is either trying to give an image as a place where wine is drunk,
where rumors are exchanged
or a vine covered building...or all three?
2. August 2006, on "Pruning
dates"
Victor Fet: "Partenocissus is a Latin name for
creepers -- ivies of grape family (Vitaceae), of Asian and North American
origin.
In Russian it is called "devichii vinograd" (maiden's grape), which
is of course a connection both to maidens (or virginity) and Gradus!".
Jerry Friedman: ..."either a "Virginia
Creeper, /Parthenocissus quinquefolia/" or "Boston Ivy", /Parthenocissus
tricuspidata/"...
JM: Perhaps the "virginal maid"
accompanyment could not be avoided by Nabokov and it came as a special bonus,
i.e., as something that anyone may interpret according to his particular sense
of humor without distorting the main picture. In short, Wordsmith's Main
Hall was initially "Vinogradus" and later it became "Shade Hall".