Khonin Nuga, Mongolia Plant Field Guide

Region AT A Glance

Taiga trees, forest berries, dangerous wetland plants and documented Mongolian traditional-use species.

Filming region: Khonin Nuga valley near the Khentii Mountains, Selenge Province, northern Mongolia Alone season(s): 5 Ecology: Siberian taiga and forest-steppe with larch, pine, birch, river meadow and rocky mountain slopes

Khonin Nuga lies where Siberian taiga meets Mongolian forest-steppe. Larch is often dominant, with pine, spruce, birch and aspen depending on slope, fire history and moisture. River meadows support rich herbs, while dry south-facing slopes shift quickly toward steppe vegetation. Autumn frost and snow can erase many identification features.

Field Priorities

• Separate larch, spruce and the two pines by needle arrangement, cones and winter behavior.
• Never collect celery-like roots or shoots from marshes; water hemlock occurs in Eurasian wetlands.
• Learn monkshood and false hellebore before gathering leafy mountain herbs.
• Pine nuts are valuable but cone harvest may be regulated and is ecologically important to wildlife.
• Published Mongolian medicinal use does not make a plant safe for unsupervised dosing.

Non-negotiable Plant Safety

Never consume a plant from one photo, one common name or one guide. Positive identification requires multiple traits and a reliable regional source. Do not experiment with medicinal dosing. For suspected poisoning, remove plant material from the mouth, preserve a sample or photo, contact emergency services or a poison centre, and do not induce vomiting unless directed.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Northern Mongolia Plant Field Guide | 2

Positive Identification Protocol

Use a repeatable process. Confidence is built from independent features, not intuition.

1 1. Place

Record habitat, moisture, slope, elevation and nearby dominant plants.

2 2. Form

Decide tree, shrub, vine, herb, grass-like plant, fern or succulent.

3 3. Leaves

Check arrangement, shape, edge, veins, hairs, odor and underside.

4 4. Stem & Bark

Look for thorns, sap, pith, lenticels, buds, twig color and texture.

5 5. Flower / Fruit

Count petals, inspect clusters, seed structures and fruit attachment.

6 6. Cross-check

Match at least three reliable sources and rule out every dangerous look-alike.

AUTOMATIC STOP LIST DOCUMENTATION KIT

No tasting to identify. Photograph whole plant, leaf top and bottom, stem, bark, No wetland roots. flowers, fruit and habitat. Add a scale object. Record date, No unknown white umbels. location and confidence. Never let an AI label overrule a No unknown bulbs. regional botanist. No unknown milky sap. No medicinal experiments.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Northern Mongolia Plant Field Guide | 3

Trees and Woody Plants

Identification, practical material properties and conservation cautions.

SIBERIAN LARCH TREE / WOODY

Larix sibirica

Identify

Deciduous conifer with soft needles in dense clusters on short spur shoots; small upright cones; needles turn yellow and fall in autumn. HABITAT & SEASON Cool slopes, valley forests and much of the northern taiga. Season: Year-round wood; needles spring through fall DOCUMENTED USE Strong resinous wood for poles, pegs and durable fuel. Fallen fine twigs can provide dry interior kindling beneath dense crowns. CAUTION Standing dead larch can be brittle and dangerous in wind. Resin may irritate skin. Do not mistake needle drop for a dead tree. LOOK-ALIKES Spruce keeps needles in winter and has sharp single needles; Siberian pine has bundles of five.

SIBERIAN PINE TREE / WOODY

Pinus sibirica

Identify

Five soft needles per bundle, stout rounded crown and large egg-shaped cones with thick scales and edible seeds. HABITAT & SEASON Cool moist taiga slopes and mixed conifer forest. Season: Cones late summer to fall DOCUMENTED USE Mature seeds are a documented high-energy food. Resinous dead wood is useful for fire starting and durable small repairs. CAUTION Do not fell seed trees or raid all cones; seeds are critical wildlife food. Confirm five needles per bundle and mature sound seeds. LOOK-ALIKES Scots pine has two needles per bundle and smaller cones.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Northern Mongolia Plant Field Guide | 4

Trees and Woody Plants

Identification, practical material properties and conservation cautions.

SCOTS PINE TREE / WOODY

Pinus sylvestris

Identify

Two blue-green twisted needles per bundle; orange-red upper bark; small conical cones; open crown on dry sites. HABITAT & SEASON Sandy terraces, dry forest margins and fire-prone slopes. Season: Year-round DOCUMENTED USE Straight poles, resin-rich kindling and durable fuel. Inner resin pockets can yield dependable fire-starting shavings from dead wood. CAUTION Fresh resin is messy and flammable. Burning resinous wood in an enclosed shelter increases smoke and creosote. LOOK-ALIKES Siberian pine has five needles per bundle; larch needles occur in large clusters.

SIBERIAN SPRUCE TREE / WOODY

Picea obovata

Identify

Sharp four-sided single needles attached on woody pegs; long hanging cones; narrow spire-shaped crown. HABITAT & SEASON Moist valley forest, north-facing slopes and stream corridors. Season: Year-round DOCUMENTED USE Spruce roots and straight poles have documented utility for lashings and frames after careful preparation. Dry lower twigs can remain sheltered under the crown. CAUTION Needles are sharp and resin can injure eyes. Root harvest damages living trees; use exposed or windthrown material. LOOK-ALIKES Larch has soft clustered needles; fir needles are flat and cones stand upright.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Northern Mongolia Plant Field Guide | 5

Trees and Woody Plants

Identification, practical material properties and conservation cautions.

ASIAN WHITE BIRCH TREE / WOODY

Betula platyphylla

Identify

White papery bark with dark horizontal marks; triangular toothed leaves; hanging catkins; slender dark twigs. HABITAT & SEASON Burns, forest edges, river terraces and mixed taiga. Season: Year-round bark and wood; leaves growing season DOCUMENTED USE Loose dead bark is excellent tinder even in damp weather. Wood is useful for utensils and moderate-quality fuel. CAUTION Never girdle living trees. Bark flame spreads quickly. Several birches hybridize, so use genus-level identification for material use. LOOK-ALIKES Aspen bark is smoother green-gray and leaves have flattened stalks; alder has persistent cone-like catkins.

EURASIAN ASPEN TREE / WOODY

Populus tremula

Identify

Round leaves with wavy teeth on strongly flattened stalks that tremble in light wind; smooth green-gray bark on young trees. HABITAT & SEASON Burns, clearings, lower slopes and river terraces. Season: Spring through fall foliage; wood year-round DOCUMENTED USE Light wood for carving, dry boards and quick-burning fuel. Clonal groves can mark past fire or disturbance. CAUTION Dead aspen can rot internally while standing. Test every pole. Concentrated bark preparations are not advised. LOOK-ALIKES Birch leaves are more triangular and bark peels; poplar relatives may have more pointed leaves.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Northern Mongolia Plant Field Guide | 6

Documented Edible Plants

Documented foods only. Positive identification and safe preparation remain essential.

LINGONBERRY DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Identify

Low evergreen shrub with leathery oval leaves, pale dotted undersides, pink urn-shaped flowers and bright red berries. HABITAT & SEASON Open conifer forest, mossy ground, heath and bog margins. Season: Late summer through winter DOCUMENTED USE Ripe berries are a documented food, often persisting after frost and suitable for cooking or drying. CAUTION Confirm evergreen leaves and Vaccinium fruit crown. Avoid berries from animal latrine sites. LOOK-ALIKES Bearberry has mealy fruit and leaves with netted veins but no pale gland dots beneath.

BILBERRY DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Vaccinium myrtillus

Identify

Low shrub with green angular stems, thin finely toothed leaves and blue-black berries that stain purple throughout. HABITAT & SEASON Cool conifer forest, openings and moist acidic slopes. Season: Mid- to late summer DOCUMENTED USE Ripe berries are documented food and can be eaten fresh, cooked or dried. CAUTION Dark berries alone are not enough for identification. Check the green angled twigs and solitary Vaccinium flowers/fruit. LOOK-ALIKES Bog bilberry has rounder bluish leaves and berries with paler flesh; poisonous black-berried herbs lack woody green twigs.

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Documented Edible Plants

Documented foods only. Positive identification and safe preparation remain essential.

ORIENTAL STRAWBERRY DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Fragaria orientalis

Identify

Low runner-forming herb with three toothed leaflets, white five-petaled flowers and small red aggregate fruits. HABITAT & SEASON Meadows, forest edges, river terraces and disturbed ground. Season: Summer DOCUMENTED USE Fully ripe fruits are documented food. CAUTION Wash or cook fruit where animal contamination is likely. Confirm the external seeds and three-leaflet growth habit. LOOK-ALIKES Cinquefoils may have similar leaves but dry seed heads rather than fleshy strawberries.

STONE BRAMBLE DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Rubus saxatilis

Identify

Low creeping bramble with three leaflets, small white flowers and a few large bright red drupelets forming a loose berry. HABITAT & SEASON Moist forest, rocky slopes and stream edges. Season: Summer DOCUMENTED USE Ripe fruit is documented food, tart and small but easy to recognize once the loose cluster is learned. CAUTION Sparse prickles can snag skin. Do not confuse red fruit with upright clusters of baneberry-like toxic herbs. LOOK-ALIKES Wild strawberry has many external seeds and no separate large drupelets.

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Documented Edible Plants

Documented foods only. Positive identification and safe preparation remain essential.

PRICKLY ROSE DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Rosa acicularis

Identify

Arching prickly stems, pinnate leaves with toothed leaflets, pink five-petaled flowers and red oval hips. HABITAT & SEASON Open forest, river terraces, thickets and burns. Season: Hips late summer through winter DOCUMENTED USE Fleshy hip walls are documented food after hairs and seeds are removed; they can be simmered or dried. CAUTION Internal seed hairs are strongly irritating. Avoid moldy hips and plants exposed to livestock chemicals. LOOK-ALIKES Hawthorn has woody thorns and lobed simple leaves; rose leaves are compound.

WILD ONION DOCUMENTED EDIBLE

Allium senescens

Identify

Clumping narrow leaves with a clear onion odor, round heads of pink-purple flowers and small bulbs or rhizomes. HABITAT & SEASON Dry meadows, rocky slopes and forest-steppe openings. Season: Spring through fall DOCUMENTED USE Leaves and bulbs of positively identified Allium are documented food and seasoning. CAUTION Onion smell must be present in all sampled parts, but odor alone is not sufficient. Avoid plants from contaminated grazing areas. LOOK-ALIKES False hellebore and iris relatives lack onion odor and have broader folded leaves.

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Toxic Plants - Avoid

High-consequence species to recognize before any gathering begins.

NORTHERN MONKSHOOD TOXIC - AVOID

Aconitum septentrionale

Identify

Tall herb with deeply divided palmate leaves and blue-violet hood-shaped flowers on an upright spike. HABITAT & SEASON Moist forest, mountain meadows and stream valleys. Season: Summer DOCUMENTED USE No food or field medicinal use. CAUTION All parts contain potent aconitine-type alkaloids; handling damaged roots or sap can be hazardous. Ingestion can cause fatal heart and nerve effects. LOOK-ALIKES Larkspurs have spurred flowers but not the distinctive helmet; leafy roots should never be tasted.

NORTHERN WATER HEMLOCK TOXIC - AVOID

Cicuta virosa

Identify

Wetland perennial with divided leaves, white umbrella flower clusters and thick hollow-chambered roots; often at water edges. HABITAT & SEASON Marshes, oxbows, slow streams and wet meadows. Season: Spring through fall DOCUMENTED USE No use. Make wetland root gathering a prohibited activity unless a qualified botanist is present. CAUTION One of the most poisonous Eurasian plants. Roots are especially dangerous and can cause seizures and death. LOOK-ALIKES Angelica and other edible Apiaceae can appear similar; never distinguish by taste.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Northern Mongolia Plant Field Guide | 10

Toxic Plants - Avoid

High-consequence species to recognize before any gathering begins.

FALSE HELLEBORE TOXIC - AVOID

Veratrum lobelianum

Identify

Tall plant with broad pleated leaves arranged alternately around a stout stem and a branched cluster of greenish flowers. HABITAT & SEASON Moist meadows, forest seeps and stream margins. Season: Spring through summer DOCUMENTED USE No food use. CAUTION All parts are poisonous and may cause severe vomiting, slow heart rate, low blood pressure and collapse. LOOK-ALIKES Young shoots can resemble wild leek or other edible greens, but false hellebore leaves are broad, strongly pleated and lack onion odor.

MEZEREON TOXIC - AVOID

Daphne mezereum

Identify

Small shrub with fragrant pink-purple flowers appearing on bare twigs before leaves and bright red berries close to the stem. HABITAT & SEASON Open forest, rocky slopes and thickets. Season: Flowers spring; fruit summer DOCUMENTED USE No food or medicine use. CAUTION Berries and bark are highly irritant and poisonous. Sap can blister skin and eyes. LOOK-ALIKES Red currants hang in clusters and have lobed leaves; mezereon fruit sits close to an unbranched leafy stem.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Northern Mongolia Plant Field Guide | 11

Traditional-use Plants

Published cultural or historical uses - not prescriptions or dosing advice.

SIBERIAN BERGENIA TRADITIONAL-USE

Bergenia crassifolia

Identify

Thick evergreen rounded leaves in basal clumps, creeping woody rhizomes and pink flower clusters on leafless stalks. HABITAT & SEASON Rocky forest slopes, cliffs and talus. Season: Year-round leaves; flowers spring DOCUMENTED USE A major documented Siberian and Mongolian traditional plant. Naturally fermented overwintered leaves have been used as tea in some regions. CAUTION Do not improvise fermentation or concentrated extracts. Tannin-rich preparations may upset the stomach and interact with medicines. LOOK-ALIKES Other saxifrages are smaller and lack the large leathery leaves.

GOLDEN ROOT TRADITIONAL-USE

Rhodiola rosea

Identify

Fleshy blue-green leaves on upright stems, yellow flower clusters and a thick aromatic rhizome; often forms clumps. HABITAT & SEASON Cold rocky slopes, streambanks and alpine meadows. Season: Summer DOCUMENTED USE Widely documented in Eurasian traditional medicine and modern herbal commerce. CAUTION Wild populations can be overharvested. Do not dig roots. Concentrated products may affect mood, sleep and medications; no survival dosing is provided. LOOK-ALIKES Other Rhodiola and Sedum species are similar; flower sex and leaf shape require expert confirmation.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Northern Mongolia Plant Field Guide | 12

Traditional-use Plants

Published cultural or historical uses - not prescriptions or dosing advice.

FRINGED SAGEWORT TRADITIONAL-USE

Artemisia frigida

Identify

Low silvery aromatic mat with finely divided leaves and small yellowish flower heads; woody at the base. HABITAT & SEASON Dry steppe, rocky slopes and disturbed campsites. Season: Summer through fall DOCUMENTED USE Documented Mongolian and steppe traditions include aromatic smoke and external or digestive preparations. CAUTION Artemisia oils can be neurotoxic in concentration and may affect pregnancy or medications. Do not use as a substitute for medical care. LOOK-ALIKES Several wormwoods occur together; identification to species can be difficult without flowers.

BROADLEAF PLANTAIN TRADITIONAL-USE

Plantago major

Identify

Basal rosette of broad leaves with strong parallel ribs and long leafless spikes of tiny green flowers and seeds. HABITAT & SEASON Trails, camps, trampled meadows and settlement edges. Season: Spring through fall DOCUMENTED USE Published traditional use includes clean crushed leaves applied externally to minor skin irritation; young leaves are also documented food when properly identified and cooked. CAUTION Do not apply dirty leaves to open wounds. Avoid internal use if taking anticoagulants or if seeds may obstruct the gut. LOOK-ALIKES Young dock leaves have netted veins; plantain veins run strongly from the leaf base.

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Seasonal and Habitat Planning

Availability is local and variable. Use these patterns to plan observation, not to assume harvest.

PHASE WHAT TO EXPECT FIELD EMPHASIS

SPRING / THAW New shoots, flowers, catkins and wetland hazards become Learn leaves and flowers before fruit; avoid roots visible. and bulbs.

SUMMER / PEAK Maximum foliage; most edible greens and traditional-use Photograph multiple traits; note habitat and GROWTH herbs are identifiable. abundance.

AUTUMN / FRUIT & Most berries, hips, cones and seed structures mature. Confirm entire plant; leave food for wildlife and FROST regeneration.

WINTER / PERSISTENT Evergreen shrubs, bark, twigs, cones and persistent fruit Rely on woody traits; snow and frost obscure herb remain. identification.

HABITAT FORECAST HABITAT LIKELY PLANTS PRIMARY RISK

Dry ridge / exposed slope Siberian larch, Siberian pine, Scots pine Windthrow, fire, protected slow-growing plants

Moist forest / sheltered Siberian spruce, Asian white birch, Eurasian aspen Look-alikes, falling timber, poor visibility valley

Wetland / peat / stream edge Northern monkshood, Northern water hemlock Water hemlock or toxic bog shrubs; unstable ground

Open disturbance / camp Lingonberry, Bilberry, Oriental strawberry, Stone bramble Contamination, invasive species, human edge chemicals

Seasonal Reality

A late frost, drought, fire, flood, browsing pressure or poor flowering year can remove an expected food source. Build plans around several independent resources and assume that every crop may fail.

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Look-alike and Hazard Matrix

The most important plant knowledge is often knowing what not to touch, taste or dig.

HAZARD FIELD CUE RULE

Northern monkshood Tall herb with deeply divided palmate leaves and All parts contain potent aconitine-type alkaloids; blue-violet hood-shaped flowers on an upright spike. handling damaged roots or sap can be hazardous. Ingestion can cause fatal heart and nerve effects.

Northern water hemlock Wetland perennial with divided leaves, white umbrella One of the most poisonous Eurasian plants. Roots flower clusters and thick hollow-chambered roots; often are especially dangerous and can cause seizures at water edges. and death.

False hellebore Tall plant with broad pleated leaves arranged alternately All parts are poisonous and may cause severe around a stout stem and a branched cluster of greenish vomiting, slow heart rate, low blood pressure and flowers. collapse.

Mezereon Small shrub with fragrant pink-purple flowers appearing Berries and bark are highly irritant and poisonous. on bare twigs before leaves and bright red berries close Sap can blister skin and eyes. to the stem.

Suspected Poisoning Harvest Ethics

• Stop exposure. Take the common, leave the rare.
• Remove material from mouth; rinse. Never girdle a tree.
• Do not induce vomiting. Avoid roots and whole plants.
• Save a sample/photo. Leave wildlife food.
• Call emergency services or poison control. Follow Indigenous and protected-area rules.
• Monitor breathing and consciousness. Restore disturbed ground.

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Sources, Scope and Limitations

Taxonomy and regional occurrence change. Verify the current name, distribution and legal status before publication or field use.

1. Plants of the World Online Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - taxonomy and distribution

https://powo.science.kew.org/

2. Flora of China Missouri Botanical Garden and Harvard University Herbaria - scientific flora

http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=2

3. Key to the Vascular Plants of Mongolia and modern Mongolian floristic literature V. I. Grubov and Mongolian botanical institutions - regional flora

https://powo.science.kew.org/

4. Khonin Nuga Research Station and northern Mongolian forest research University of Goettingen and Mongolian partners - regional ecology

https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/khonin+nuga/171572.html

5. Medicinal Plants in Mongolia World Health Organization, Western Pacific Region - medicinal plant monograph

https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/207609

6. Toxic-plant records in Flora of China, Kew POWO and veterinary literature of Mongolia Multiple scientific sources - toxicology support

https://powo.science.kew.org/

Independent Publication Notice

This guide is an independent educational reference and is not affiliated with HISTORY, the Alone television series, local Indigenous governments or protected-area authorities. Traditional-use notes summarize published sources and do not transfer cultural authority. Local knowledge holders, current regulations and qualified medical or botanical professionals take precedence.

Educational reference only - never consume or medicate from one source. Northern Mongolia Plant Field Guide | 16