Home List of Plants & Others on the North SlopePlant List: A’s

Plant List: A’s

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A B-C D-J K-M N-P Q-S T-Z

Alaska Blue Anemone

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Anemone drummondii
Family Name: Ranunculaceae
Description: Erect plant stem, slightly hairy, with ternately-dissected, oblong-linear leaves, smaller in basal whorl than on stem whorl. Solitary flower on each peduncle, large flower (10-35 mm diameter), apetalous, sepals ovate and whitish to bluish in color, many stamens.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry, rocky slopes.
Height: 3-5 inches.
Traditional Uses:


Alpine Blue Anemone taken by Leslie Pierce near the Kukpowruk River in June

Alder

Iñupiaq Name: Nunaŋiak or Nunaniat
Scientific Name: Alnus viridis subsp. crispa (previously Alnus crispa)
Family Name: Betulaceae
Description: Tall shrub with ovate leaves having sharply serrated edges. Height of shrubs decreases with increasing latitude and/or altitude. Nutlet fruits found in hard cone-like catkins.
Habitat and NSB locations: Near rivers and streams, in mushy tundra.
Height: Shrubs up to 6-9 feet tall.
Traditional Uses: Outer bark scraped off and dried. Turns red when boiled and dried. Used for dying skins.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of alder specimen collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.

Alpine Blueberry

Iñupiaq Name: Asiat or Asiavik or Asiaviqutaq
Scientific Name: Vaccinium uliginosum
Family Name: Ericaceae
Description: Dwarf shrub, woody branches; leaves dull green, oblong to round, smooth margins; flowers bell-shaped, white to pink; berry color varies from blue to dark blue to almost black.
Habitat and NSB locations: Boggy tundra.
Height: 6 inches or more.
Traditional Uses: Berries are eaten as is, or in jam or other foods. Leaves added to tea for flavor.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of blueberry specimen collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.


Blueberry. Photo taken by Craig George along the Chandler River

Alpine Fescue

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Festuca spp.
Family Name: Poaceae
Description: Tufted grass, narrow leaves coming up from the base, much shorter than the flowering stalks; spikelets purplish-green.
Habitat and NSB locations: Sandy, rocky tundra.
Height: Up to 30 cm (1 ft) tall.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Alpine fescue. Photo taken by Leslie Pierce south of Teshekpuk Lake in July

Alpine Forget-Me-Not (Alaska State Flower)

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Myosotis alpestris
Family Name: Boraginaceae
Description: Leaves lance-shaped covered with hairs. Flowers small, blue 5-lobed with yellow center.
Habitat and NSB locations: Sandy or rocky soil or dry tundra.
Height: 6-8+ inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Alpine forget-me-not. Photo taken by Robert Suydam near Point Hope in August

Alpine Foxtail

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Alopecurus borealis (previously Alopecurus alpinus)
Family Name: Poaceae
Description: Spikelet is fuzzy and purple-gray.
Habitat and NSB locations: Wet sand, gravel or tundra.
Height: Up to 1 ft tall.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Alpine foxtail. Photo taken by Leslie Pierce in the Colville River delta in early August

Alpine Milk Vetch

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Astragalus alpinus (see also A. umbellatus)
Family Name: Fabaceae
Description: Leaves basal; pinnate with 8-11 leaflet pairs, on stems creeping along the ground. Inflorescence in loose cluster at top of stalk; stalk not much longer than leaves. Dark blue or bluish-violet flowers, paler at base, in racemes; darker sepals.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry tundra or sandy or gravelly areas.
Height: Up to 6 inches tall.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Alpine milk vetch. Photo taken by Leslie Pierce near Point Lay in early July


Alpine milk vetch, taken by Leslie Pierce near Kaktovik in July

Alpine Wormwood

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Artemisia glomerata
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description: Leaves forming low-lying mat; tri-lobed, hairy. Inflorescence capitate, densely wooly, with yellow-ish disk flowers.
Habitat and NSB locations: Sandy or rocky areas.
Height: 3-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Alpine wormwood. Photo taken by Leslie Pierce near Point Lay in early July

Arctic Daisy

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Hulteniella integrifolia (previously Chrysanthemum integrifolium)
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description: Small, linear cluster of leaves at base, few along single stem. Single flower with long, white, 3-toothed ray flowers and bright yellow disc flowers.
Habitat and NSB locations: Sandy or rocky areas.
Height: 4-6 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Arctic daisy. Photo taken by Leslie Pierce south of Teshekpuk Lake

Arctic Forget-Me-Not

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Eritrichium nanum or E. aretioides
Family Name: Boraginaceae
Description: Very small leaves covered with white hairs. Flowers small, blue 5-lobed with yellow center.
Habitat and NSB locations: Sandy or rocky soil or dry tundra.
Height: 1-2 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Arctic forget me not. Photo taken by Leslie Pierce near the Kukpowruk River in June


Arctic forget me not. Photo taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake

Arctic Groundsel

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Tephroseris frigida (previously Senecio atropurpureus)
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description: Leaves mostly basal and hairy with few on flowering stalk. Solitary flower head with yellow ray flowers and hairy, purplish bracts below.
Habitat and NSB locations: Moist meadows.
Height: Up to 6 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.
Photo: See photo from the Circle District Historical Society webpage.


Arctic groundsel. Photo taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake


Taken near Kaktovik by Leslie Pierce

Arctic Lupine

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Lupinus arcticus
Family Name: Fabaceae
Description: Leaves palmately arranged, with 7-9 leaflets. Stems covered with white hairs. Flowers blue or dark blue with hairy sepals.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry to damp slopes, gravel bars.
Height: 6-12 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known. Plant is poisonous. DO NOT EAT.


Arctic Lupine. Photo taken by Leslie Pierce on the Kukpowruk River in June

Arctic Poppy

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Papaver macounii (also have P. lapponicum and P. lapponicum var. salmonicolor [salmon-colored, previously P. hultenii])
Family Name: Papavaraceae
Description: Highly dissected, green leaves at base; bright yellow flower with four petals at end of stem.
Habitat and NSB locations: Found in dry places on the tundra or near roadsides, etc.
Height: About 6-8 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Arctic poppy. Photo taken by Renee Hoover near Point Lay in early July


Arctic Poppy taken by Leslie Pierce near Kaktovik in July


Papaver lapponicum var. salmonicolor. Photo taken by Karen Hegyi near Barrow

Arctic Stitchwort

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Minuartia arctica (see also Minuartia rossii)
Family Name: Caryophyllaceae
Description:
Habitat and NSB locations:
Height: 2-3 inches.
Traditional Uses:


Taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake


Taken by Leslie Pierce near Kaktovik in July

Banner photo credit: Karen Hegyi

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