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Kaghapchuk grows on the tundra outside of Golovin.
The long, dark green, narrowly sword-shaped leaves are most
commonly found without the pink flowered stems. The root is
thick and fleshy. It is a low growing plant with the flower
stem, a thickly, pink flowered spike, reaching only 6 inches
at it's tallest.
The plant is not abundant but is used as a special treat
when found. When I brought the plant back to ask my grandma
about it, she was excited to see it. My Grandfather, Ralph
Willoya, who is from King Island, showed me this plant. His
name for it was ivuq , using a different
Eskimo dialect. The root is dug up and eaten raw or boiled
like potatoes. The leaves are mixed with other greens and
eaten with seal oil like salad. Eric Hulten in his book,
"Flora Of Alaska", states that "the rhizome (root) and
leaves are eaten boiled by the Natives;" though he does not
explain to which Native peoples he is referring (Hulten,
385).
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