NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH Department of Wildlife Management P.O. Box 69 Barrow, Alaska 99723 Phone: (907) 852-0350 FAX: (907) 852 0351 Taqulik Hepa, Director Common Plants of the North Slope Plants are an important subsistence resource for residents across the North Slope. This document provides information on some of the common plants found on the North Slope of Alaska, including plants not used for subsistence. Plant names (common, scientific and Iñupiaq) are provided as well as descriptions, pictures and traditional uses. The resources used for identification are listed below as well as other resources for information on plants. DISCLAIMER: This guide includes traditional uses of plants and other vegetation. The information is not intended to replace the advice of a physician or be used as a guide for self- medication. Neither the author nor the North Slope Borough claims that information in this guide will cure any illness. Just as prescription medicines can have different effects on individuals, so too can plants. Historically, medicinal plants were used only by skilled and knowledgeable people, such as traditional healers, who knew how to identify the plants and avoid misidentifications with toxic plants. Inappropriate medicinal use of plants may result in harm or death. LIST OF PLANTS • Alaska Blue Anemone • Alder / Nunaŋiak or Nunaniat • Alpine Blueberry / Asiat or Asiavik • Alpine Fescue • Alpine Forget-Me-Not • Alpine Foxtail • Alpine Milk Vetch • Alpine Wormwood • Arctic Daisy • Arctic Forget-Me-Not • Arctic Groundsel • Arctic Lupine • Arctic Poppy • Beach Greens • Bearberry / Aŋurvak or Aŋurvat or Kavlaq • Bog Rosemary • Bog Saxifrage • Brook Saxifrage • Chickweed • Coltsfoot / Milukataq, Mapkutitaaġruaq or Milukutakpak • Cordate-leaved Saxifrage • Cotton Grass / Pikniq, Pikniik, Pitniq, or Pitniik or Aqłakataq • Cottonwood or Balsam Poplar • Crowberry or Blackberry / Paunġak, Paunġaq, Pauġat, or Pauġak • Cuckoo Flower • Dwarf Birch • Dwarf Fireweed / Tilaaggik • Eskimo Potato / Masu or Masuqutaq • Finger Lichen / Kivviġiruaq • Fleabane • Glacier Avens • Golden Whitlow Grass • Grained Saxifrage • Hairy Arctic Milk Vetch 2 • Heather / Piļġaurat, Pilġaurat, Piļaurat, Piļaġaqutaq, or Ikkuqutit • Horsetail • Jacob's Ladder • Kinnickkinnick / Tinnik • Labrador Tea / Papaksraq, Tilaaqiaq, Tilaaqqiq, Tilaaqqit, Tilaakiq, Sakiaguraq or Sakiagauraq • Lapland Rosebay • Large-flowered Wintergreen • Lingonberry or Lowbush Cranberry / Kimmigñaq, Kimmiŋñaq or Kimmigñauraq • Locoweed / Aigaq • Mare's Tail • Marsh Fleabane • Marsh Marigold • Moss Campion • Mountain Avens • Mountain or Arctic Sorrel / Quŋuliq or Quŋulliq or Quŋulik or Quŋullik • Narrow-leaved Saussurea • Nodding bladder-campion • Nodding Saxifrage • Northern Primrose / Piļġaurat • Northern Rock Jasmine • Northern Water Carpet • Oysterleaf • Paintbrush • Pallas Buttercup • Parry's Wallflower / Masu Aiġaq • Pasque Flower • Pendant Grass / Pikniq • Pink Plumes / Ippiq or Ippigich or Qaqauraq • Polar Grass • Puffball • Purple Mountain Saxifrage • Purple Oxytrope • Reindeer Lichen / Niqaaq • Rock Jasmine • Ross' Sandwort 3 • Rusty Saxifrage • Salmonberry / Aqpik or Akpik • Scurvygrass • Sedge • Siberian Aster • Snow Buttercup / Taqilakisaaq • Sourdock or Arctic Dock / Quaġaq, Quagaq, Quagak, Quaġak or Quagat • Sphagnum Moss / Uġru • Starwort • Stinkweed / Sargiġruaq or Sargiq or Salgiġruaq • Sudetic Lousewort • Tansy or Lake Huron Tansy • Thrift Seapink • Tufted Saxifrage • Tundra Grass • Tundra Rose • Valerian • Water Sedge • Whitlow Grass • Wild Sweet Pea • Willow / Uqpik or Uqpiich • Wood Rush • Woolly Lousewort / Itqiļiaġruk or Itqiļiaġruaq or Qutliiraq • Yarrow • Yellow Lousewort 4 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: Taken by Leslie Pierce near the Kukpowruk River in June. 5 ALDER Iñupiaq Name: Nunaŋiak or Nunaniat Scientific Name: 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. 6 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. 7 ALPINE FESCUE Iñupiaq Name: Scientific Name: Festuca brachyphylla 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. 8 ALPINE FORGET-ME-NOT Iñupiaq Name: Scientific Name: Myosotis alpestris (Alaska state flower) 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. 9 ALPINE FOXTAIL Iñupiaq Name: Scientific Name: 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 10 ALPINE MILK VETCH Iñupiaq Name: Scientific Name: Astragalus alpinus 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. 11 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. 12 ARCTIC DAISY Iñupiaq Name: Scientific Name: 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. 13 ARCTIC FORGET-ME-NOT Iñupiaq Name: Scientific Name: Eritrichium nanum 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. 14 ARCTIC GROUNDSEL Iñupiaq Name: Scientific Name: 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. Taken by Renee Hoover near Point Lay in early July. Arctic groundsel. Photo taken by Jo Heathcote south of Teshekpuk Lake. 15 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 near Nuiqsut by NSB-DWM staff. Arctic Lupine. Photo taken by Leslie Pierce on the Kukpowruk River in June. 16 ARCTIC POPPY Iñupiaq Name: Scientific Name: Papaver macounii (also