Paleo Foraging

Pluchea sericea (Nutt.) Coville

Synonyms: = Berthelotia sericea, Eremohylema sericea, Polypappus sericeus, Tessaria sericea

Common name: Arrowweed

Cahuilla: hangal (Bean and Saubel 1972:105)

Location in Texas: far W TX.

Form: shrub.

Flowers: year-round, but mostly Mar-July (pink, purple)

Food

Roots – gathered from young plants, roasted, and eaten by the Cahuilla (Bean and Saubel 1972:105).

Material

Shoots (arrowshafts) – used to make arrows by the Cahuilla (Bean and Saubel 1972:106). They were cut to length, moistened, placed in the groove of a heated stone arrow straightener, and bent to straighten (Bean and Saubel 1972:106).

Shoots (basketry granaries) – the Cahuilla in the Coachella Valley made large granaries out of arrowweed (Bean and Saubel 1972:111). The shoots were twisted into long ropes that were coiled upward, much as coiled basketry work (Bean and Saubel 1972:111). Then they were plastered on the inside to make airtight (Bean and Saubel 1972:111). After filling with mesquite beans, the granaries were sealed with wormwood (Artemisia) shoots and mud daub (Bean and Saubel 1972:111). This prevented the infestation of insects (Bean and Saubel 1972:111). The granaries were set upon platforms of poles or on the tops of high boulders to be out of reach of small rodents (Bean and Saubel 1972:111). Such granaries were large enough to hold 300-500 lbs of beans, sufficient to feed a family of 6-10 people for a year (Bean and Saubel 1972:111). Kamia and Yuma mesquite pod granaries were made in the same way (Gifford 1931:40, Heintzelman 1853:116)

Shoots (construction) – used by the Cahuilla to construct granaries, cover them, and cover houses (Bean and Saubel 1972:105,114). They were interwoven with vertical elements as a type of lath that was daubed with mud to make walls (Bean and Saubel 1972:105). Used for roofing material (Bean and Saubel 1972:105). Yaqui houses were sometimes made of arrowweed and mesquite bark (Beals 1943:21). Arrowweed shoots were were placed upright, braced by three pairs of horizontal shoots, which were tied together with strips of mesquite bark (Beals 1943:21). These were then plastered with clay (Beals 1943:21). Grass thatch or palm thatch was used (Beals 1943:21).

Shoots (implements) – To prepare mesquite inner bark for making string, it was immersed in a pool of water for a month, being placed between two layers of arrowweed and weighted down with a log (Gifford 1931:32). Such fibers were spun on the bare thigh (Gifford 1931:32).

Aboveground parts (pit lining) – the Cocopa processed screwbeans in a manner to increase their sweetness (Kelly 1977:33). A large pit, about 5 ft wide and 4 ft deep, lined with arrowweed (Pluchea sericea), was packed with screwbeans, covered with branches, arrowweed, and dirt (Kelly 1977:33). After about 6 weeks, the pods would have turned from yellow to a dark brown, signifying they were ready to dry and store, though the Cocopa would often simply keep them in this pit for storage, using them in spring for food (Kelly 1977:33).