The Inuit name for the Arctic poppy is igutsat niqingit. Igutsat translates to “bumblebee”, as the yellow flowers are much appreciated by bumblebees. Igutsat niqingit means “bumblebee food”
The flower of the poppy turns to face the sun, which makes it a heliotrope. It does this to attract insects to help it pollinate as well as to gather heat to help the sex organs of the flower develop as fast as possible in the short climate.
The plants are also covered in coarse black hairs. Most plants in Nunavut seem to be a little bit “furrier” than their southern counterparts.
