Labrador Tea

Rhododendron groenlandicum. Also known as Ledum groenlandicum.

Family: Heath(Ericaceae)

Habitat: South Eastern, South Central & Central Alaska. It's also found in other parts of North America & Greenland.

Description: Small slow growing evergreen shrub, with leaves similar in appearance to rosemary. The leaves are small with dots on top and have a rusty hairy underside. The leaves have a aromatic odor. The flowers are white and have five petals with long stamens. The fruit is a dry, hairy capsule holding many seeds. The fruit is in clusters of five.

Predators: Caribou and moose eat the twigs. Humans use the leaves to make tea. It can also be a host to a fungus called spruce needle rust.

Labrador Tea leaves can be used to make tea, but should be drank in moderation. In large doses the tea acts as a diuretic & will cause intestinal problems. First nation’s people used Labrador tea to treat dizziness, headaches, stomachaches, colds, kidney problems & asthma. It was also used for burns, dandruff, dry skin & head lice. This tea has been know to cause drowsiness is some people, but has a relaxing effect on others. The nutrients found in Labrador tea are copper, thiamin, vitamin c, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, vitamin d, vitamin e, calcium, sodium, pantothenic acid, carbohydrates and fiber.

It is important not to confuse Labrador Tea with a similar looking plant called Trappers Tea. Trappers Tea can be toxic, if consumed. Both species can be found in the same habitat. They can be distinguished by looking at the leaves. Trappers Tea leaves have a white hairy appearance, while Labrador Tea has a rusty hairy appearance.

Resources:

Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast By, Pojar & Mackinnon

Alaskan Wildflowers By, Verna E. Pratt

Naturalstandard.com
http://www.naturalstandard.com/index-abstract.asp?create-abstract=/monographs/herbssupplements/labradortea.asp

nutrograph.com
http://nutrograph.com/7186-tea-tundra-herb-and-laborador-combination-alaska-native

Alberta Plant Watch
http://plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/labrador-tea

Topmsnon Pass, an Glacier

12:45pm
6/24/09
light breeze, with partly sunny.

glacier:
Alders
River beauty
Dwarf firewood
Unknown yellow plant with darker small green leaves, low to the ground
the glacier, silt in the water
streams/ water falls

On the road:
Alders
Fire weed
Willows
Coastal yellow paintbrush
golden crown sparrow
snow potential
mount avens
crowberrys
lichen's
mountain hair bell
blueberry's
yellow spotted saxifrage
mountain heather
glaucous gentiran

I couldn't believe that the glacier was so big an yet it was so small.
I enjoyed the hike to the glacier an the waking around.
I was surprised at how much plant life was at the glacier, an how Even thought there is new life it was so beautiful.

Alpine Arnica

Alpine Arnica

Also known as: Meadow Arnica, Lessing’s Arnica, Frigid Arnica, and angustifolia, angustifolius: This means (With narrow leaves).

Seen at: Thompson Pass

Family: Daisy, Aster, or Composite/ Asteraceae

Habitat: They like to live in dry alpine and sub-alpine slopes in the Eastern Alaska and Interior and Northern Alaska north of Fairbanks.
Blooming Time: June and July

Description: This plant can grow any where from 7-12” tall. With narrow pointed leaves that are sometimes somewhat wavy along the ends. This flower has 1- 3 sets of leaves, which are opposite and typically hairy. The Arnicas are big yellow daisy-type with broad ray flowers.

Worthington Glacier and Thompson Pass

Worthington Glacier & Thompson Pass

Date: 6/24/09
Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm
Weather: Sunny, with a breeze in the 40’s with some clouds.

Plants seen on the trip:
River Beauty
Willows
Pussy Toes
Yellow Spotted Saxifrage
Snow Potentilla
Crowberry
Mountain Harebell
Blueberry
Moss Campion
Lessings Arnica
Wooly Lousewort
Glaucous Gentan
Alp Lily

Insects/other things we seen on our trip:
Mosquito( Like always)
Flies
Bees
Lady Bug
Birds
Ground Squirrel

Worthington Glacier & Thompson Pass

6/24/09 13:30pm-3:30pm
Partly cloudy, windy with the temperature around 35-40 degrees.

Plants:
Willows
Alders
River Beauty
Chocolate Lilly
Coastal Yellow Paintbrush
Crowberry
Bearberry
Blueberry
Snow Potentilla
Labrador Tea
Yellow Spotted Saxifrage
Alp Lilly
Mountain Harebell
Moss Campion
Narcissus Flowered Anemone
Purple Shooting Star
Arctic Bluegrass
Spike Trisetum (Grass that I mistook for Alaska Bentgrass)
Several different kinds of lichen.

Insects:
Mosquito
Bee
Lady Bug
Fly

Birds:
Seagull
Magpie
Golden Crown Sparrow

Mammals:
Tourist
Arctic Ground Squirrel


It was beautiful day to go up to Worthington glacier & the pass. Our first stop was at Worthington Glacier. I was surprised by the number of seagulls around the area. There is a glacial lake, giving them a water source. Seagulls are also opportunistic when it comes to food, meaning that they will eat anything they find. There were tourist there & I'm sure the Seagulls were waiting for them to drop food or leave the dumpster open... The most surprising thing, for me was seeing how much the glacier has receded since the last time I was there. We walked toward the glacier to get a better look. There are a lot of cool rocks that have been deposited by the glacier. The rock is called schist & has a layered/flaky look. On our way back from the glacier, we spotted some grasses next to the alders & willows. I thought one grass was Alaskan Bentgrass, but did some research when I got home & I'm pretty sure it was actually Spike Trisetum. The other grass I was unable to identify is Artic Bluegrass. I reasearched it when I got home as well.

As we were stopping along the pass an arctic ground squirrel ran in front of the car. Luckily we did not harm the squirrel. We also saw a Golden Crown Sparrow. Thompson pass is so beautiful, words can't describe how amazing the veiw is. We were at about 2678ft, so it was cool & windy. We identified three types of berries. There are some interesting lichen that live there as well. One of the lichens is black & looks like hair. There is an interesting varity of plant life on the pass. I'd have to say the berrries are my favorite & I'm looking foward to going berry picking, when they ripen.