Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

Brodiaeas—with the inclusion of blue dicks (Dichelostemma captitatum)—are among the most widespread geophytes found in the state of California. They are also among the geophytes most widely consumed ethnographically, with reports of their use by the majority of native groups within the state. A notable exception involves the desert region of southeastern California, particularly the northwestern Mojave Desert. Although their use and nutritional value are widely documented, little is known about the costs associated with Brodiaea procurement. Here we present data on Brodiaea energetic return rates by combining published nutritional information with timed collection experiments from Pilot Knob Valley, California. We show that the plants produce very low energetic returns (50–239 Kcal/hr.) owing to their small corm size, low caloric content, and the substantial time required to extract them. These low returns mirror data from a small number of previously unpublished experiments and fall at or below rates typically reported for small seeds. Such low values indicate that the plants may have been a marginal resource under many circumstances. We suggest that the absence of these plants in ethnographic accounts may stem from their low returns, as well as their intermittent availability tied to variations in local rainfall. To the extent that these estimates characterize potential returns elsewhere, they have implications for Brodiaea consumption in other contexts as well.