Borovichev E.A. Botanical excursion on the Northern Soroya. Hammerfest, 2014.

positions Mountain Birch often grows with a single straight trunk and may reach 10 m in height. Many of the birches on Soreya are sometimes heavily damaged by the Autumnal Moth (Epirrita autumnata), the larvae of which feeds on birch leaves and which periodically has severe outbreaks over large areas. Birch has long been used as a major raw material, not only as firewood, but also for building: its bark was laid beneath the turf on turf roofs. In Sweden, the bark o f birch trees is used to make a form o f bread. Betulin from birch bark is reported to decrease cholesterol, obesity and improved insulin resistance. The buds and leaves o f birch are used in both traditional and * 1 A * 7* Photo N. Koroleva Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) - a little trailing plant, with small evergreen leaves and uprightflower stems, each bearing a pair o fbell-shapedflowers. This lovely plant was Carl Linnaeus'sfavorite and was named in honor o fthisfamous botanist Arctic starflower (Trientalis europaeus) has nice solitary white flowers usually with six-seven petals. This type o fflower is reflected in Russian ( ‘Sedmitshnik ) and German ( ‘der Siebenstern ) names Cow-wheat (Melampyrum pratense) seeds have afatty attachment on them called 4an elaiosome'. Wood ants take the seeds to their nests, andfeed the elaiosome to their larvae, thus helping to disperse these plants 29