FLORAL HAZARDS: NOOTKA LUPIN IN ICELAND AND THE COMPLEX POLITICS OF INVASIVE LIFE

Once established in new spaces, exotic plants not only impact the “native” biota, but also affect environmental politics in often complex ways. This article looks into one instance of such politics: that of the Nootka lupin (Lupinus nootkatensis), a leguminous plant of North American origin. Imported to Iceland in 1945 to stem soil degradation and recover vegetation, it soon became firmly established in Icelandic landscapes. Its spreading was actively assisted by human actors as part of fulfilling a moral duty to heal a land scarred by unsustainable past land use practices. Changing perspectives in environmental management have brought about a radical reversal in the lupin's status. It is now seen by many as a “floral hazard”, and has been declared an “invasive alien species” by the Ministry for the Environment. New lines of defence are being established to curb its spread into the deserts of the central highlands. A polarized debate has ensued about the politics of invasive life. Increased research by natural scientists has not led to any resolution. It is argued that such seemingly intractable controversies cannot be resolved unless close attention is paid to the historical construction of values and moralities underwriting the production of the discursive communities involved. Conditions of radical uncertainty with the advent of the Anthropocene further complicate the politics of invasive life.     

Geo-archeological interpretation of Acheulian calc-pan sites at Doornlaagte and Rooidam (Kimberley,South Africa)

Two Acheulian occupation sites of the Kimberley District, Doornlaagte and Rooidam, are found geologically sealed and in semi-primary context within complex sequences of calcareous and arenaceous sediments. The sedimentary columns are analyzed and interpreted in terms of sedimentology and stratigraphy, indicating major occupation along the margins of shallow, seasonal lakes; sporadic visits to the fluctuating shoreline are also indicated thereafter, until the Doornlaagte playa began to dry out, and at Rooidam until the whole depression was submerged. The evolution of the related calcareous pans is discussed and attributed to cycles of alternating erosion (aeolian, chemical and fluvial) and deposition (lacustrine and colluvial, including reworked aeolian components). In addition to pedogenetic “calcretes,” most of the limestones of the pan sedimentary sequences are lacustrine in origin. Palaeosols also include fersiallitic soils. The various geomorphologic events indicate repeated and appreciable environmental changes during the mid-Pleistocene. The detailed climatic oscillations recorded at Doornlaagte and Rooidam cannot be correlated, and the latter site is appreciably younger, with a provisional $\text{Th}\text{U}$ date of 115,000 BP for the late Acheulian (“Fauresmith”) occupation.     

The clandestine marriages of the Fair Maid of Kent

The obscure circumstances surrounding the marriages of Joan Plantagenet, the Fair Maid of Kent, are here clarified by reference to the pertinent original documents. In 1340, aged twelve, Joan clandestinely married Sir Thomas Holland. While he was away fighting in Prussia, she was induced by her family to wed the earl of Salisbury. When Holland returned and claimed his wife, Salisbury refused to give her up and Holland was compelled to bide his time. In 1347, while serving in the war against France, Holland received a large ransom for a high-ranking prisoner; he was now financially able to petition the curia for restoration of his conjugal rights, and he reported that Salisbury was holding Joan incommunicado. Under the first papal auditor the case reached an impasse, but a second auditor managed to ensure that Joan was properly represented at the hearings. The curia decided in 1349 that Salisbury's marriage was invalid, and Joan was restored to Holland. After the latter died, in December 1360, Joan secretly wedded her second cousin, the prince of Wales, even though Edward III was then negotiating a foreign marriage for the prince. This clandestine marriage was necessarily invalid because of consanguinity. King Edward, despite annoyance at the thwarting of his plans, petitioned the pope for a dispensation; and in October 1361, the prince and Joan were wedded in public.