The Eskimo potato is a type of edible plant that grows in the northern areas of Canada and Alaska. The plant's scientific name is variously attributed as either Claytonia tuberosa (Inuit: oatkuk) or Hedysarum alpinum (Inuit: mashu). The species has a range in the northern area of North America, has edible roots, and has been documented to have been used as a food source by Inuit. Because of its nutritional qualities, the eskimo potato is one of many edible foods listed in survival guides, such as the US Army's field manual Survival, and people still use it to subsist in nature.
Christopher McCandless used the plant as a food source in the Alaska wilderness.
References
- merriam-webster.com Retrieved June 21, 2011.
- ^ United States Army. Field Manual 3-05.70. May 2002. p B-50.
- ^ Heller, Christine A. and Edward M. Scott. The Alaska Dietary Health Survey 1956-1961. US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service. p 180 Archived 2012-03-26 at the Wayback Machine
- Gucker, Corey L. "Hedysarum alpinum". U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. 2007.
- Bryson, George. "Theories differ on the cause of McCandless' death" Archived 2013-07-19 at the Wayback Machine Anchorage Daily News. October 8th, 2007. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
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