Friday, December 19, 2008

Rubus arcticus ssp acaulis



'moose skull lake' Mendenhall. YukonJune 20 2008













Rubus arcticus ssp acaulis
Rosaceae Rose family
In one source i find its common name is Nagoon berry.

I don't have a photo from the berry yet, it's a raspberry and tasty it is.

Rubus - raspberry - red
arcticus - northern
acaulis - no stem

Well, it does have a stem, but the flower doesn't overtop the leaves.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Red-osier Dogwood


 formerly Cornus stolonifera
now Cornus sericea sub sericea
Dogwood family
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- Not Edible-
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Sept. 07 2008
One shrub, where the bushroad crosses 'elfin creek'. (North of Mendenhall subd.)
2017- almost 10 years later, there are many bushes now, all derived from that one, they are following the creek downstream.
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Cornus means horn.
an osier-bed is a river-bed.
stolonifera - carrying 'suckers'.


and the berries still green on July 20, 2015
I wonder how early they bloom?

April 18, 2016
and below June 29, 2016 same location







Cranberry




Vaccinium vitis-idaea ssp minus
Heath family
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Sept 8 2008
In the Pine forest along the Kusuwa road.
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vitis-idaea means vine of mnt. Ida

Here on sept 5, 2015 along the Kusawa road,  ripe berries, with flowers behind it, this summer flowering for a second time. Normally only flowering in spring.

And on June 12, 2016, i found some plants with possibly a fungus
maybe Exobasidium vaccinii

winter mountain ( Ibex Valley)
and that same day on the same mountain
cranberry flowers


Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Highbush Cranberry


Sept 1 2008, In the forest above Tagish road.


Sept. 3 2008, 'elfin creek', North-west of Mendenhall subdivision.
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Viburnum edule
Honeysuckle family

June 10 2012
in the yard, just starting to bloom.

April 19, 2016
pink buds on brown branches

Ribes hudsonianum



Ribes hudsonianum
Grossulariaceae, gooseberry family
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August 12 2008, on the power line east of Mendenhall subdivision.
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A wonderful berry to pick, no thorns and picks fast and clean somehow.
You have to like the taste though, it is strong. It makes a very good jam, for some a favorite.
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I find it in open places in moist, dark woods. I do not come upon it very often though. Again it seems to like it where a right away of some kind is being cut through the woods.
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Ribes: Persian word meaning acid-tasting
hudsonianum, I imagine it grows along the Hudson Bay.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Saskatoon berry




Amelanchier alnifolia
rose family
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August 30 2008, East shore of Little Atlin Lake, underneath Mt. White.
top photo: Sept. 1, Tagish road on top of high bank facing South.
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I like the taste of this berry very much, to me it taste like marzipan , which is made from almonds. First time I came upon this most abundant berry was North of Regina.
Here in the Yukon I haven't seen it quite like that.
What you see in the bottom photo, is the best I have ever seen them here.
I come upon this berry bush in different locations, in grassy open forest, here on the property it is native too.
The shape of the bush is often quite tall and sort of spindly. At Atlin lake up to 2m. high.
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For eating: As they are!
and I will use a recipe for apple crisp, replacing the apple for berries, most delicious!
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Coming Spring I will add a picture of the blossoms, which are white in most beautiful racemes.
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alnifolia means leaves like from the alder(Alnus).
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Common names : Saskatoon, Serviceberry.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Blue Berry


Aug 17 2009, Rainy Hollow



Vaccinium ovalifolium
Heath family

August 17 2008
Rainy Hollow (Haines Road) on the banks of Fuchs Creek, below Mnt. McDonnel. (British Columbia)

Don and mine ultimate favorite berry.
Most delicious to eat straight from the bush, I do make some jam, but most of them I freeze whole and we eat them all winter for breakfast and dessert, which can be as simple as a bowl of berries with a little cream and sugar.

for common names I have read ; oval leaved blueberry,
early blueberry and I have even heard huckleberry
but to me this is The Blueberry.(feel free to contradict)

Vaccinium is actually a Latin name given to the blueberry.
ovalifolium - oval leaves.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

bristly black currant





the flowering one June 7 2017


Ribes lacustre
Grossulariaceae, gooseberry family

ribes - acid tasting
lacustre- growing along ponds and lakes

The berry is very sticky and not my favorite to pick, but of its abundance and guaranteed good crop, it is a welcome addition to my harvest. It is to me not very tasty raw, But delicious as a juice. I made juice one year when the berries were covered with Fireweed fluff. Most years I make jam, which I mix with Black Currants and/or Raspberries and this year even Strawberries, which all grow in the Black Currant patch I pick.

On August 10 and 11 2008, we picked 4 litres of the above mix. Made delicious jam, using less then half white sugar, boiling it for at the most 10 min.

I call this a Gooseberry, i find it along roads and power lines. Semi-wet and semi-shaded.
At the end of August I made jam with just those berries. And it turned out very good, resembling black currant jam.