In the oasis grow groups of palms, tamarisks, acacias, esparto and Juncus. This was when nets were made of hemp, esparto and, later on, cotton. The term is French and comes from the esparto grass. On the lower slopes are steppe grassland with esparto grass. This is the raw esparto, which is used for different basketry techniques. Algeria also exports figs, dates, esparto grass and cork. A special esparto basketry piece is the esparto canteen. The route then turns eastward and passes through Esparto, California before crossing I-505. Esparto leaves have been used for millennia. This material is known as "crushed esparto", which is stronger and easier to weave. Another important use of esparto is in rope-making. Most paper made from esparto is usually combined with 5% to 10% wood pulp. Iberians used esparto rugs as floor coverings. Shepherds would sometimes weave a makeshift spoon from esparto leaves to eat curdle. Their cargo included grain, weapons, bronze, ship timber, linen and esparto (used to make ropes).