Tundra Blooms: Part 2

I have officially returned to school in Ontario after my long stay in the Arctic.  The final few weeks of my stay at Daring Lake were rather hectic and I was not able to find time to complete a final set of blog posts.  As such I will continue to post about Daring for another week or two until I have exhausted all of my photos.  To start with, here is the second instalment of the Tundra Blooms series.

 

COMPOSITAE: The aster/daisy/sunflower family

Alpine Arnica – This wildflower was restricted to a single south facing slope on the south shores of Daring Lake.  The blooms I photographed were present in the first week of July, but the start of blooming probably took place a week or two earlier.

Arnica angustifolia – Alpine Arnica

Arnica angustifolia – Alpine Arnica

Pussytoes – This unfortunately named flower began to bloom in the third week of June.  Typically Pussytoes was found on dry, bare esker tops.

Antennaria isolepis (Greene) – Pussytoes

Antennaria isolepis (Greene) – Pussytoes

 

LENTIBULARIACEAE: The bladderwort family

Hairy Butterwort – Butterwort blooms appeared in the third week of June in wet areas dominated by Sphagnum mosses.  This particular plant is carnivorous.  The small basal leaves are covered with a sticky liquid on their upper surfaces that is used to trap insects.

Pinguicula villosa – Hairy Butterwort

Pinguicula villosa – Hairy Butterwort

Pinguicula villosa – Hairy Butterwort

 

ROSACEAE: The rose family

Snow Cinquefoil – One of the earliest flowers to bloom, I captured these pictures of Snow Cinquefoil in the second week of June. Snow Cinquefoil was located on dry, bare esker tops, often growing in clusters with Pussytoes pictured above.

Potentilla nivea – Snow Cinquefoil

Potentilla nivea – Snow Cinquefoil

Potentilla nivea – Snow Cinquefoil

Swamp Cinquefoil – Swamp Cinquefoil was found blooming in wet riparian areas in the third week of June.  However, like the Arnica, I found these flowers late and guess that blooming began one or two weeks earlier.

Potentilla palustris – Swamp Cinqufoil

Potentilla palustris – Swamp Cinqufoil

Cloudberry – One of the many delicious berries present on the tundra, Cloudberry flowers first appeared in the third week of June.  Cloudberry could be found across most tundra types, from heath tundra to shrub tundra.

Rubus chamaemorus – Cloudberry

Rubus chamaemorus – Cloudberry

Rubus chamaemorus – Cloudberry

 

LEGUMINOSAE: The  pea family

Locoweed – Locoweed blooms were found in the third week of June.  These wildflowers were located on the tops of dry, bare eskers, often growing intermixed with Alpine Bilberry.

Oxytropis nigrescens – Locoweed

Oxytropis nigrescens – Locoweed

Oxytropis nigrescens – Locoweed

Tundra Blooms: Part 1

Last summer I didn’t start my field season until early July.  The tundra was lovely and green when I arrived, but unfortunately I missed seeing most of the wildflowers bloom. This year I was lucky enough to start my adventure in late May and I got to enjoy the bulk of the flowering season.

I thought I’d put together a recap of all the flowers I’ve seen.  Here is part one.

ERICACEAE: The heath family

Alpine Azalea – The first blooms appeared in the first week of June.  Alpine Azalea grows in large patches on rocky, south-facing esker slopes and heath tundra.

Kalmia procumbens – Alpine Azalea

Kalmia procumbens – Alpine Azalea

Kalmia procumbens – Alpine Azalea

Alpine Bear Berry – Alpine Bear Berry blooms are quite subtle and easy to mistake for new leaves.  These flowers appeared in the first week of June.  Bear Berry coats the esker tops and also occurs in heath tundra.

Arctostaphylos alpina – Alpine Bear Berry

Arctostaphylos alpina – Alpine Bear Berry

Alpine Bilberry – Bilberry blooms first appeared in the second week of June.  Alpine Bilberry can be found growing tall in shrub tundra or crawling along the ground on exposed esker faces.

Vaccinium ulginosum – Alpine Bilberry

 

Lapland Rosebay – I found Lapland Rosebay flowers in the second week of June.  These plants cultivate  bare, rocky esker faces.

Rhododendron lapponicum – Lapland Rosebay

Rhododendron lapponicum – Lapland Rosebay

Rhododendron lapponicum – Lapland Rosebay

Labrador Tea – Labrador Tea began to bloom in the third week of June.  It is a widely distributed plant, occurring prominently in most vegetation communities with the exception of the fens and gravel-faced esker tops.

Rhododendron subarcticum – Labrador Tea

Rhododendron subarcticum – Labrador Tea

Bog Laurel – I found Bog Laurel blooms in the third week of June.  One group was found in a wet area that was once the location of a small pond.  The second group was found in a riparian area near our stream research site.

Kalmia polifolia – Bog Laurel

Kalmia polifolia – Bog Laurel

Kalmia polifolia – Bog Laurel

Kalmia polifolia – Bog Laurel

Bog Rosemary – Bog Rosemary began to bloom in the second week of June.  It most abundantly occurs in wet areas dominated by Sphagnum mosses but can also be found in dry tundra communities.

Andromeda polifolia – Bog Rosemary

Arctic White Heather – I found a patch of blooming Arctic White Heather on the last day of June.  This plant can be found on steep north-facing esker slopes.

Cassiope tetragona – Arctic White Heather

Cassiope tetragona – Arctic White Heather

Dry Ground Cranberry – Dry Ground Cranberry began to bloom around the last week of June.  This plant is probably the most widely distributed plant at Daring Lake (in competition with Betula glandulosa).  It occurs in wet and dry conditions, on the eskers and throughout the valleys.

Vaccinium vitis idaea – Dry Ground Cranberry

Bog Cranberry – I found the first blooms in the first week of July.  Bog cranberry is not as widely distributed as Dry Ground Cranberry. It occurs in patches of Sphagnum mosses in wet areas.

Oxycoccus microcarpus, Bog Cranberry – Daring Lake, NWT

Mountain Heather – Mountain Heather blooms were found in the first week of July.  This plant was found in the riparian area near our stream research site.

Phyllodoce coerulea – Mountain Heather