Table 16.17. Two Major Groupings of Native Plants Whose Reproductive Parts Preserved in Tested Sites Flotation Samples
| Group 1 | Group 2 | |
| Habit | Weedy | Nonweedy |
| Productivity | High at times | Lower |
| Harvest effort | Low cost | High cost |
| Taxa* | Capparaceae-type Cheno-am Cycloloma atriplicifolium-type Euphorbia glyptosperma-type Malvaceae-type Mentzelia albicaulis-type Nicotiana attenuata-type Physalis longifolia-type Plantago-type Portulaca retusa-type Stipa hymenoides-type |
Echinocereus-type Juniperus osteosperma-type Opuntia-type (prickly pear) Rhus aromatica-type |
NOTE: Group 1 plants are (a) extremely to somewhat weedy
in habit (though their habitats may be somewhat restricted to, for example,
sandy or damp sediments); (b) capable of high seed productivity, given the
appropriate environmental conditions; and (c) fairly easily harvested (for
example, collected with a beater-basket, exposed to fire to release and
parch the seeds, or easily uprooted, dried, and winnowed for
seeds later). Group 2 plants (a) are not weedy in habit (that is, they are
perennials that thrive in well-established vegetation); (b) have a generally
lower level of productivity (that is, plants may not produce fruit every
year, or they may produce smaller amounts); and (c) are often more difficult
to acquire, sometimes requiring repetitive hand movements or movements
among plants to harvest any quantity. Gramineae grains are not included
in this list.
*Plant habitat preferences and other characteristics are explained more
fully in the introductory material in this chapter.