Home List of Plants & Others on the North SlopePlant List: K-M

Plant List: K-M

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Kinnickkinnick

Iñupiaq Name: Tinnik
Scientific Name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Family Name: Ericaceae
Description: Plant matted, dwarf shrub with trailing woody, branches. Leaves evergreen, leathery, ovate to spatulate, flat-margined; lustrous above, slightly hairy below. Flower bell-shaped, white to pink; fruit dull, red, dry and mealy with stone.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry tundra.
Height: 2-3 inches.
Traditional Uses: Berries are not very tasty, but are eaten boiled and added to other foods.
Photo: See photo in the USDA Plants Database.

Labrador Tea

Iñupiaq Name: Papaksraq, Tilaaqiaq, Tilaaqqiq, Tilaaqqit, Tilaakiq, Sakiaguraq or Sakiagauraq
Scientific Name: Ledum palustre
Family Name: Ericaceae
Description: Low shrub with slightly hairy twigs. Leaves linear, strongly curled margins; shiny greenish-gray above, wooly below. Flowers in umbel-like clusters at end of branches, with five white to pinkish petals.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry, marshy tundra.
Height: 3-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: Leaves for tea flavoring.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of Labrador Tea specimen collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.


Laborador Tea taken by Leslie Pierce near the Kukpowruk River in June


Labrador tea taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake in July

Lagotis or Weaselsnout

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Lagotis glauca
Family Name: Scrophulariaceae
Description:
Habitat and NSB locations:
Height: 6-8 inches.
Traditional Uses:


Photo taken by Leslie Pierce near Kaktovik in July

Lapland Rosebay

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Rhododendron lapponicum
Family Name: Ericaceae
Description: Low dwarf shrub, thick woody stems; leaves dark greenish-gray, ovate to oblong, covered on both sides with resin dots. Flowers in loose clusters at end of branches, five purplish petals with long purplish stamens.
Habitat and NSB locations: Stony areas, dry or wet.
Height: 3-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Lapland Rosebay taken by Leslie Pierce near the Kukpowruk River in June

Large-Flowered Wintergreen

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Pyrola grandiflora
Family Name: Pyrolaceae
Description: Leaves thick, rounded; flowers large, 5 petals white or greenish-white with protruding curved, style. Anthers yellow.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry tundra.
Height: 3-4 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Large flowered wintergreen taken by Leslie Pierce south of Teshekpuk Lake in late July

Lingonberry or Lowbush Cranberry

Iñupiaq Name: Kimmigñaq, Kimmiŋñaq or Kimmigñauraq
Scientific Name: Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Family Name: Ericaceae
Description: Low-matted plant with small, oval, evergreen leaves of glossy green (or reddish to burgundy); small, pink, bell-shaped flowers with small red berries in clusters at end of branches.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry meadows.
Height: 1-2 inches.
Traditional Uses: Berries eaten freshly picked or made into jam. Leaves and stems boiled for tea.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of Lingonberry specimen collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.


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


Lingonberry flower taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake

Locoweed

Iñupiaq Name: Aiġaq
Scientific Name: Oxytropis borealis
Family Name: Fabaceae
Description: Leaves pinnately dissected, with 8-12 leaflet pairs. Inflorescence a raceme with 5-10 flowers. Flowers pale blue with pointed keel (Astragalus flowers have blunt keel).
Habitat and NSB locations: Found along rivers on dry tundra.
Height: Up to 6 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.
Photo: See this picture on the Toolik-Arctic Geobotanical Atlas.

Mare’s Tail

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Hippuris vulgaris
Family Name: Haloragaceae
Description: Stout stem with whorls of 6-12 pale green, thin leaves at internodes.
Habitat and NSB locations: Shallow water.
Height: 6 inches or more.
Traditional Uses: None known.
Photo: See this picture on the Toolik-Arctic Geobotanical Atlas.


Mare’s Tail taken by Leslie Pierce near Point Lay

Marsh Fleabane

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Senecio congestus
Family Name: Asteraceae
Description: Tall plant with fuzzy, reddish, hollow stems; large fuzzy green leaves, lance-shaped with toothed indentations. Flower heads in clumps at top of stems, covered with hairs; yellow ray and disk flowers.
Habitat and NSB locations: Wet areas.
Height: 1-3 feet.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Marsh Fleabane taken by Chris Finkler near Barrow

Marsh Marigold

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Caltha palustris
Family Name: Ranunculaceae
Description: Long stem emerging from water or running along wet tundra. Few leaves along stem; rounded or kidney-shaped. Flowers have 5 yellow sepals with greenish center.
Habitat and NSB locations: Submerged in pond or very moist areas.
Height: 4-6 inches, or several inches above the water.
Traditional Uses: The long white roots are eaten boiled. Leaves can be eaten when cooked, but are poisonous when raw.


Marsh Marigold taken by Jo Heathcote near Teshekpuk Lake in early July


Marsh marigold taken by Leslie Pierce near Barrow in August

Moss Campion

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Silene acaulis
Family Name: Caryophyllaceae
Description: Dense mat of short, linear, flat, green leaves; tube flowers with 5-lobed, pink to purple petals and darker sepals.
Habitat and NSB locations: Sandy areas.
Height: Up to 3 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Moss campion taken by Lindsey Kendall near Point Lay in early July

Mountain Avens or Arctic Dryad

Iñupiaq Name:
Scientific Name: Dryas integrifolia (also D. octopetala)
Family Name: Roseaceae
Description: Low growing plant with small, narrow, dark green leaves; shiny above and hairy below; edges slightly rolled under. Large flowers with eight white petals and yellow stamens; seeds with long white hairy plumes.
Habitat and NSB locations: Dry to moist tundra.
Height: 2-3 inches.
Traditional Uses: None known.


Mountain avens taken by Leslie Pierce near the Kukpowruk River in June

Mountain avens taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake


Mountain Avens taken by Leslie Pierce in the Colville River delta in early August

Mountain or Arctic Sorrel

Iñupiaq Name: Quŋuliq or Quŋulliq or Quŋulik or Quŋullik
Scientific Name: Oxyria digyna
Family Name: Polygonaceae
Description: Leaves round or kidney-shaped, low growing; bright red in early summer, turning green by mid-summer. Flowers clustered on taller red stalk, with small, dark pink petals and sepals.
Habitat and NSB locations: Near creeks or streams, wet areas.
Height: 8-12 inches.
Traditional Uses: Leaves good source of vitamin C; eaten raw or soaked in seal oil. Leaves can be stored in seal oil or frozen for later use. Can also make tea by boiling leaves, plus add a few red flowering stems for a nice pink color and sugar to sweeten. Can also add flour while boiling to make a dessert. Can be prepared as a chilled tea as well. Root not eaten.
IHLC Specimen: Photo of Mountain Sorrel specimen collected for the NSB Arctic Harvest project in the early 1990’s.


Oxyria digyna taken by Leslie Pierce near Freshwater Lake, Barrow


Photo by Karen Hegyi near Barrow

Banner photo credit: Jo Heathcote

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