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Beach Greens

Iñupiaq NameAtchaaqłuk
Scientific NameHonckenya peploides
Family Name: Caryophyllaceae
Description: Fleshy, oval, yellow-green leaves. Tiny, inconspicuous, greenish flowers.
Habitat and NSB locations: Sandy beaches along the coast of the North Slope.
Height: 2-3 inches.
Traditional Uses: Young leaves eaten raw or cooked. Good source of Vitamin C.


Beach greens. Photo taken by Leslie Pierce near Point Lay in early July

Beach Pea

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific NameLathyrus maritimus
Family Name: Fabaceae
Description:
Habitat and NSB locations: Sandy beaches along the western coast of the North Slope.
Height: 2-3 inches.
Traditional Uses:


Taken by Leslie Pierce near Point Lay in early July

Beach Rye Grass

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Leymus mollus
Family Name: Poaceae
Description: tall grass 2 to 5 feet high, with long spikes.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry, rocky or sandy areas, especially beaches.
Height: up to 2 feet.
Traditional Uses:


Taken near Point Lay in early July by Leslie Pierce


Taken near Kaktovik in mid-July by Leslie Pierce

Bearberry, Red (Also Black Bearberry)

Iñupiaq Name: Aŋurvak or Aŋurvat for Red Bearberry; Kavlaq for Black Bearberry
Scientific NameArctous rubra (previously Arctostaphylos rubra); also Arctous alpina (previously Arctosphatylos alpina) or Black Bearberry
Family Name: Ericaceae
Description: Low matted, woody shrub. Spatulate leaves deciduous, thin, leathery, slightly serrated margins, green with reddish edges. Leaves turn red in the fall. Flowers are white (or greenish-white) bell-shapes. Fruit is round berry: A. alpina fruit is black and A. rubra fruit is red.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry tundra or rocky areas.
Height: 2-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: Berries eaten as is and made into jams. Used for kidney and bladder problems.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of Black Bearberry collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.


Red Bearberry taken by Leslie Pierce near the Kukpowruk River in June


Black Bearberry taken by Craig George along the Chandler River

Bog Rosemary

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific NameAndromeda polifolia
Family Name: Ericaceae
Description: Dwarf, woody shrub; narrow green leaves curled under at edges; pink, urn-shaped flowers, clustered at end of branches on a pink flowering stem.
Habitat and NSB locations: Boggy and wet tundra.
Height: 2-3 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known. Plant is poisonous. DO NOT EAT.


Bog rosemary taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake

Bog Saxifrage

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific NameSaxifraga hirculus
Family NameSaxifragaceae
Description: Short plant with a bright yellow flower with orange speckling in the center of the petals.
Habitat and NSB locations: Grows in wet tundra.
Height: about 3-5 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Bog saxifrage taken by Karen Hegyi near Barrow in early August


Bog saxifrage taken by Leslie Pierce south of Teshekpuk Lake in late July


Bog saxifrage taken by Karen Hegyi near Barrow

Boreal Sagebrush

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific NameArtemisia arctica
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description:
Habitat and NSB locations:
Height:
Traditional Uses:


Photos taken by Leslie Pierce near Kaktovik

Chamomile, Seashore or Arctic

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Tripleurospermum maritimum
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description: Many spreading branches with flowers at end of branch ; white petals with yellow center; compound, highly-dissected, feathery leaves.
Habitat and NSB locations: Seashores, or sandy or gravelly areas.
Height: 4-12 inches.
Traditional Uses:

Chickweed (Or Mouse-Ear Chickweed)

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific NameCerastium beeringianum
Family Name: Caryophyllaceae
Description: Mat-like hairy plant with short greenish-yellow leaves. Many branches with flowers at end of branches; 5 white petals with two lobes (looks like 10 petals), slightly longer than sepals.
Habitat and NSB locations: Sandy or gravelly areas.
Height: 2-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.
Photo: See this picture on the Toolik-Arctic Geobotanical Atlas.


Chickweed flower taken by Karen Hegyi near Barrow


Chickweed taken by Leslie Pierce in Kaktovik in July

Coltsfoot

Iñupiaq Name: Milukataq, Mapkutitaaġruaq or Milukutakpak
Scientific NamePetasites frigidus
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description: Leaves are toothed and triangular, found near base of plant. Brown in the spring, turning glossy-green in the summer. Underside of leaves covered with white fuzz. Flower stalk green or reddish. Flowers white with purplish center, developing long white bristles near the end of summer.
Habitat and NSB locations: Found in wet areas on the tundra, throughout the North Slope.
Height: About 6 to 12 inches.
Traditional Uses: The leaves are eaten in salads, used on external sores and arthritis, and made into a tea for a persistent cough.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of Coltsfoot leave specimens collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.


Coltsfoot early in the season, taken by Leslie Pierce near Barrow


Field of coltsfoot later in the season, taken by Leslie Pierce near Barrow


Coltsfoot taken by Leslie Pierce in the Colville River delta in early August

Cordate-Leaved Saxifrage or Brook Saxifrage

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific NameMicranthes nelsoniana var. nelsoniana (previously Saxifraga punctata)
Family NameSaxifragaceae
Description: Leaves basal and close to ground; thick, round (cordate) shape with wide teeth; green with purplish edges; lighter green underneath and fuzzy. Flowers in group at top of taller, fuzzy stalk, 5 white petals.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry areas.
Height: 4-6 inches.
Traditional Uses: Young leaves stored in seal oil and eaten with fish or meat. Good source of vitamin C and the precursor to vitamin A.


Saxifraga punctata taken by Leslie Pierce near Barrow


Photo taken by Jo Heathcote near Teshekpuk Lake

Cotton Grass

Iñupiaq NamePikniq, Pikniik, Pitniq, or Pitniik or Aqłakataq
Scientific NameEriophorum spp. (E. augustifolium or Many-spiked cotton grass, E. russeolum or Solitary cotton grass, E. scheuchzeri or Scheuchzer’s cotton grass, or E. vaginatum or Hare’s tail grass)
Family Name: Cyperaceae
Description: Tall sedge (not a grass) with skinny, grass-like leaves. Spike of brownish-yellow flowers which develop into seeds with white cottony hairs by mid-summer. E. augustifolium has many spike-like “cotton heads” on the stem. The other three species have a solitary spike. E. vaginatum is smaller with smaller leaves forming a tussock in drier areas.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry to moist tundra. Often near ponds.
Height: 6-12 inches.
Traditional Uses: Lower stems eaten raw or with seal oil.


Cotton Grass taken by Chris Finkler near Barrow


Cotton grass near pond taken by Chris Finkler

Cottonwood or Balsam Poplar

Iñupiaq Name: Ninŋuq
Scientific Name: Populus balsamifera
Family Name: Salicaceae
Description: Bark gray with deep furrows; green leaves broad lance-shaped, paler beneath.
Habitat and NSB locations: River valleys south along the Brooks Range.
Height: Up to 40 feet tall.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Cottonwood taken by Craig George along the Chandler River

Crowberry or Blackberry

Iñupiaq Name: Paunġak, PaunġaqPauġat, or Pauġak
Scientific NameEmpetrum nigrum
Family Name: Ericaceae (previously Empetraceae)
Description: Very short, linear, green leaves on creeping branches. Tiny inconspicuous flowers. Fruit a large purplish-black berry.
Habitat and NSB locations: Wet or boggy tundra.
Height: 2-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: Purplish-black berries are eaten as is; leaves used to ignite fire.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of Crowberry specimen collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.
Photo: See this picture on the Toolik-Arctic Geobotanical Atlas.


Crowberries taken by Craig George along the Chandler River

Cuckoo Flower

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name:
 Cardamine pratensis and C. digitata (also known as C. hyperborea)
Family Name: Brassicaceae
Description: Leaves pinnate; basal leaves with more rounded leaflets, upper leaves with more linear leaflets. Flowers with 4 petals, white to rose-colored with veins visible, on tall stalk.
Habitat and NSB locations: Wet areas.
Height: Up to 10-12 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Cuckoo flower taken by Leslie Pierce in Point Lay in early July


Cardamine digitata taken by Leslie Pierce in Kaktovik in late July

Cup Fungi

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Helvella corium
Family Name: Helvellaceae
Description: Black-colored mushroom with cup-like cap.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry tundra, often near willows.
Height: 1-2 inch.
Traditional Uses: None known. Poisonous, DO NOT EAT.


Helvella corium, cup fungi, near Kaktovik.  Photo by Brandi Going

Banner photo credit: Craig George

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