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The oysterleaf plant is in the same genus as the bluebell
and has the same characteristic bell-shaped flowers. The
flower color ranges from pink to white to bluish-purple. The
silvery-green leaves grow along the sand on the beaches in
Golovin. The leaves are roughly diamond-shaped and grow on
long flat stems. The flowers are, generally, at the outer
edges of the plant. The flowers are persistent all
summer.
The oysterleaf is another plant that I have included in my
collection which has potential to be used in Golovin, but is
currently not being used. With the help of Maggie Olson, I
was able to record a name for this plant that did not exist
before. She sang to me a song about little bells in
IÒupiaq and encouraged me to use the name "little
bells" for this plant, relative of the bluebells,
Mertinsia panaculata .
Janice Schofield has described the plant to be a good source
of greens and can be used in sandwiches, salads, and cooked
egg dishes and soups. She also mentions that cough syrup can
be made with akulurungnuit, fennel, and honey water
as a medicine (Schofield, p. 17).
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