Berries
Kikmingnuak
Iñupiaq Name: Kikmingnuak phonetic spelling: kip-ming-nuak plural: Kikmingnuat translation /other information none known English Name: Bog cranberry Scientific Name Oxycoccux microcarpus Source: Turcz, 24
Kikmingnuak is a very small plant that grows on top of the mosses on very wet tundra. The leaves are less than a centimeter wide and grow on a thin vine, with roots growing from the vine into the mosses. The red berries are remarkably large for such a small plant, but they are much smaller than any of the berries collected by the people of Golovnin. I brought a sample to my grandma. She said they do not usually collect it for food because the berries are small and usually hard. She knew the name of the plant so I included it in my collection. Hulten reports that the berries make a tasty jam, but in the harsh conditions in Golovin and the surrounding area prevent it from growing well. Perhaps the plant grows better in other areas of Alaska that are not as wind blown and cold.