Western Skunk Cabbage in Southeast Alaska Lysichiton americanus Hultén & H. St. John also known as western skunk cabbage or “swamp lantern,” as it is referred to in Canada, otherwise known as western skunk cabbage or Lysichiton americanus, is a perennial, member of the Arum or Araceae family and grows …
Acoma Blue Corn, Zea mays L. (Poaceae), has been part of the Southwest Indigenous diet for hundreds of years and is a staple in many of our dishes and differs from commercial hybrid dent corn as it is open pollinated and has low yields of 1,000-4,000 lbs per acre whereas …
Introduction Last semester I learned about coastal and tundra grasses, primarily beach rye grass, and the various culturally distinct ways people have ingeniously transformed the fiber into containers, clothing, coverings, and fabrics. This semester I wanted to turn my attention to materials from the boreal forest. As I remain most …
Introduction For some time, I’ve wanted to tap trees for sap, but I don’t have any tap-able trees in my yard. Land access, and access to the variety of plants living on different lands around us is a significant challenge, much more for some people than for me. As a …
Leymus mollis (Trin.) Pilg. Introduction Grasses, along with many plant fibers, played a significant role in humanity’s ability to innovate and survive. All of our ancestors found innovation within their local context. As humans gained proficiency with tools and materials, grasses and other plant fibers were fashioned into cordage, containers, …
Botanical Information Species: Pandanus tectorius Parkinson ex Du Roi (Pandanaceae) Common names: thatch screwpine, hala tree, pandanus Hawaiian name: pu hala (Carr, 2002) Pandanus tectorius is a dioecious member of the screwpine family of monocotyledons. It is native to the Pacific Islands, Australia, and Malesia where it prefers coastal areas …
Throughout my research I kept finding recurring associations between Artemisia species and women’s health. All over the world, leaves have been used for a range of feminine needs such as abortions, treating menstrual cramps, reducing pain during childbirth, initiating birth, and postpartum care (I did not keep track of all …
Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilat Chaga is a parasitic fungus that grows in northern (boreal) forests on birch trees. It’s been part of Russian folk medicine since the 16th century (Spinosa, 2012, p.22-26). In fact, the word chaga comes from the Khanty language, an Indigenous people living in modern-day …
My third project for Applied Ethnobotany is a research project about wild plants within Alaska’s food system. This blog post is an adaptation of my final paper for an introductory food systems class in the Prescott College Master’s in Sustainable Food Systems program, available here for feedback. Land Acknowledgement I …
Cattails There are three species of cattails in the family Typhaceae growing in North America. Of these three species, only Typha latifolia L., or the broad-leaved cattail, is found in Alaska. Worldwide, cattails are an important resource in almost all of the communities where they grow, and there is an …
