Flower talk

This pretty purple flower is endemic to the Arctic and called "eskimo potato" (Hedysarum alpinum). Its roots are starchy like a parsnip, and are consumed by many animals, including humans. In fact, the name for UAF's main campus, Troth Yeddha', is an old Athabascan name for the main ridge of UAF campus, which was a gathering place for harvesting the troth, or wild potato. (yeddha' means ridge).


This equally pretty and equally purple flower is also endemic to the Arctic. People call it "wild sweet pea" (Hedysarum mackenzii), but no part of it is edible. There are stories of people dying for making this mistake, including possibly Christopher McCandless of Into the Wild fame.


Incidentally, the bus in which Mr. McCandless died, which some unwise and careless people had been seeing as a pilgrimage site (and drowning in the river while attempting to get to it), was just removed by the military, at no cost to the public. They said it was a training exercise for their pilots, and what an interesting thing that would have been to witness!

This is a wild iris. They grow all along the Tanana, and I love them.


So pretty!


"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it." --Alice Walker


This is an Alpine Daisy. Of course, latitude can make sea level resemble altitude. We get quite a few "alpine" flora and fauna around here!


Does this look comfy? Thistle seems to think so.


She has sofffy jellybean toesies. I miss Roo's sofffy paws Most of All, but I'm glad Thistle lets me squeeze her jellybeans.


Cricket sez, "I also have paws! Check out my back paw!"