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Anchorage, Alaska
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ICELAND MOSS Cetraria islandica

Description: Plant

Grows in cushions or mats. Narrow, flat branches, spreading; 5-10 cm., strap-like in shape, paper thin and forking. Edges usually have thin spines.

Habitat:

Bare, rocky, sandy soil.

Uses:

Can be used as an emergency food; must be boiled and treated with soda to be palatable. In Scandinavian countries it is used to make jelly, porridge, salads and bread.  Medicinally, it is used for chest ailments.

Special Harvest or Processing Comments:

Island moss is not really a moss, but a lichen. As such, it is slow growing and extreme care must be taken not to over harvest this plant. Take no more than 25% of the plants from one location.