Home List of Plants & Others on the North SlopePlant List: D-J

Plant List: D-J

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Dandelion

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Taraxacum alaskanum and T. ceratophorum
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description: Dandelions in the arctic are smaller with narrower leaves than in southern Alaska and the lower 48.
Habitat and NSB locations:
Height: 6-8 inches.
Traditional Uses: Young leaves eaten raw are rich in Vitamin C and A. Also eaten cooked.


Dandelion amongst the coltsfoot leaves and saxifrage near Barrow in July. Photo by Leslie Pierce

Dwarf Birch

Iñupiaq Name: Urgiiļiq
Scientific Name: Betula nana
Family Name: Betulaceae
Description: Low-lying dwarf shrub; young twigs covered with resin spots. Leaves dark green, round, with rounded-toothed margins.
Habitat and NSB locations: Boggy tundra. Across the North Slope, except on the northern coast.
Height: 6-8 inches (B. glandulosa up to 7 feet).
Traditional Uses: None known.


Dwarf birch near Point Lay. Photo by Leslie Pierce


Dwarf birch taken by Craig George along the Chandler River


Shrub Birch (or B. glandulosa) taken by Leslie Pierce on the Kukpowruk River in June

Dwarf Fireweed or River Beauty

Iñupiaq Name: Tilaaggik
Scientific Name: Epilobium latifolium
Family Name: Onagraceae
Description: Stems low-growing, purplish-gray. Leaves alternate, fleshy, gray-green. Large flowers at end of stems, petals purple to dark rose; sepals darker.
Habitat and NSB locations: Gravel bars and along streams.
Height: 3-6 inches.
Traditional Uses: Leaves used for tea. Young leaves are also eaten raw or boiled. Flowers used to make honey and jelly.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of Dwarf Fireweed specimen collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.


Dwarf Fireweed taken by NSB-DWM staff near the Meade River


Dwarf Fireweed taken by Renee Hoover near Point Lay in early July

Dwarf Hawksbeard

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Crepis nana
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description: Small, rosette of leaves, about 2-4 inches in diameter. Leaves dark green with purplish margins and stems, spatula-shaped, with slightly toothed margins. Flower heads composed of yellow, ray flowers with toothed, terminal margins.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry, rocky areas.
Height: 1-2 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Dwarf Hawksbeard photos taken by Leslie Pierce near Point Lay in late June 2016

Eskimo Potato or Alpine Sweetvetch

Iñupiaq Name: Masu or Masuqutaq
Scientific Name: Hedysarum alpinum
Family Name: Fabaceae
Description: Tall plant growing from horizontal root; root edible (see Note below). Leaves pinnate (in oblong pairs) on widely spaced branches; smooth on top with obvious veins underneath. Pods are smooth and net-veined. Flower stalks are tall; long clusters of pinkish to purple pea-shaped flowers, narrow near the top.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry, rocky tundra.
Height: 1-2 feet.
Traditional Uses: Sweet in September, roots eaten raw or boiled in water or mixed in soup.
NOTE: Beware, this plant is similar to H. mackenzii (or Wild Sweet Pea) which has larger, reddish-purple flowers (not in narrow clusters), hairy pods and leaves with whitish, fuzzy undersides and hidden veins. H. mackenzii can be toxic and cause severe digestive problems.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of Eskimo Potato specimen collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.

Finger Lichen

Iñupiaq Name: Kivviġiruaq
Scientific Name: Dactylina arctica
Family Name: Parmeliaceae (in Fungi Kingdom)
Description: Tan to yellowish colored lichen. Often found in a bunch; hollow, rounded structures.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry tundra; often found with mosses.
Height: 1-2 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Finger lichen taken by Leslie Pierce near Barrow

Fleabane

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Erigeron eriocephalus
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description: Linear, oblong, mostly basal leaves. Solitary flower head on hairy stem; purplish ray flowers, darker purple sepals, yellowish center (or disk) flowers.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry tundra.
Height: 3-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Fleabane taken by Leslie Pierce south of Teshekpuk Lake in late July

Glacier Avens

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Geum glaciale
Family Name: Rosaceae
Description: Basal leaves, pinnately dissected with 11-15 leaflet pairs and long silky hairs. Large flowers with 5 yellow petals.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry tundra.
Height: 3-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Glacier Avens taken by Leslie Pierce near the Kukpowruk River in June

Golden Whitlow Grass

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Draba alpina (see also Draba nivalis)
Family Name: Brassicaceae
Description: Basal whorl of leaves; oblong to lance-shaped, slightly hairy. Flowering stem much taller, reddish-tinged; inflorescence dense, small yellow 4-petaled flowers bunched at top.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry areas.
Height: 2-3 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Golden whitlow grass taken by Karen Hegyi near Barrow


Photo by Leslie Pierce near Deadhorse

Goose Grass or Creeping Alkali Grass

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Puccinellia phryganodes
Family Name: Poaceae
Description: Very short grass, forming mats with loose tufts; spreading stolons with many short shoots; inflorescence purplish.
Habitat and NSB locations: Salty or brackish marshy areas.
Height: 1-3 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known, but grazed heavily by geese.


Goose Grass growing along a sand berm along the ocean near Barrow. Photos: Leslie Pierce

Grained Saxifrage

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Saxifraga foliolosa
Family Name: Saxifragaceae
Description: Basal, oblong leaves with several teeth. Single flower with 5 white (to reddish) petals (clawed near base with yellow spots) at top of tall flowering stalk. Tiny pink bulbets on stem below flower.
strong.
Habitat and NSB locations: Wet, rocky areas or snow beds. Also found along creeks.
Height: 6 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.
Photo: See this picture on the Toolik-Arctic Geobotanical Atlas.


Grained saxifrage taken south of Teshekpuk Lake by Jo Heathcote

Hairy Arctic Milk Vetch

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Astragalus umbellatus (see also A. alpinus)
Family Name: Fabaceae
Description: Leaves pinnate, with 7-11 oblong to ovate leaflet pairs. Yellow flowers in racemes above leaves.
Habitat and NSB locations: Stony slopes or dry meadows.
Height: Up to 1 foot tall.
Traditional Uses:


Hairy arctic milk vetch taken by Leslie Pierce near Point Lay in early July


Hairy arctic milk vetch taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake

Heather

Iñupiaq Name: Piļġaurat, Pilġaurat, Piļaurat, Piļaġaqutaq, or Ikkuqutit (when used for starting fires)
Scientific Name: Cassiope tetragona
Family Name: Ericaceae
Description: Tiny leaves close to four-sided branches; reddish-brown early in season, turning green later. Flowers white, small, bell-shaped at end of branches.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry tundra.
Height: 3-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: To make fire and cook without wood (pick older ones, not green ); Also used for incense and to keep mosquitoes away.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of Heather specimen collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.


Heather taken by Renee Hoover near Point Lay in early July

Horsetail

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Equisetum spp.
Family Name: Equisetaceae
Description: Brownish stems turning green later in summer. Tough, thick stems hollow with cylindrical sheaths at nodes along stem. Margins of sheath toothed and often darker colored. Top of stem with cone-like structure. Some species have branching at nodes.
Habitat and NSB locations: Moist areas.
Height: 6-8 inches or more.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake


Horsetails near Point Lay. Photo by Leslie Pierce


Taken by Leslie Pierce near Kaktovik

Jacob’s Ladder

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Polemonium spp.
Family Name: Polemoniaceae
Description: Tall plant, leaves pinnately dissected with 10-15 leaflet pairs. Hairy in P. boreale; not hairy in P. acutiflorum. Flowers large in open inflorescence at end of stem; petals blue to violet with five lobes and yellow center.
Habitat and NSB locations: Wet meadows.
Height: 4-10 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Jacob’s ladder  taken by Renee Hoover near Point Lay in early July


Jacob’s ladder taken by Renee Hoover near Point Lay in early July


Jacob’s ladder taken by Leslie Pierce in the Colville River delta in early August

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