cholla
Segmented desert plant
Cholla is a cactus native to the American Southwest and Mexico, characterized by cylindrical stems covered in barbed spines that detach easily and cling painfully to skin or clothing.
The jumping cholla earned its name because segments seem to leap onto passersby: I brushed against a cholla and spent ten minutes pulling spines from my arm.
Pointed plant projection
- barbBackward-pointing spike
- needlePointed implement for sewing
- bristleCoarse animal hair
- prickleTiny sharp point
hooked · detachable · embedded · painful · irritating · piercing · clingy · jumping
Moist and flavorful
- water storageHolding liquid reserves
- xerophyteDrought-tolerant plant species
- aridDevoid of water
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
resilience · hardiness · shallow roots · heat tolerant · survival · dormancy · moisture retention · desiccation
Columnar desert cactus
- yuccaSpiny desert plant
- prickly pearSpine-covered cactus, edible fruit
- barrel cactusStout cylindrical desert succulent
- SonoranOf a specific southwestern desert
mesquite · agave · creosote · Joshua tree · piñon · juniper · arroyo · mesa
Edible plant ovary
- tunaLarge edible ocean fish
- budsPre-bloom plant growths
- nopalesEdible cactus segments
- harvestGathering mature crops
roasted · traditional food · seasonal · foraging · preparation
Making a dwelling
- cactus wrenLargest North American wren
- roadrunnerFast terrestrial cuckoo
- packratCompulsive accumulator of objects
- woodpeckerTree-drilling bird
shelter · habitat · protection · seeds · fruit · browse · javelina · tortoise
thorn
Pointed plant projection
prickle · hooked · detachable · embedded · painful · irritating · piercing · clingy · jumping · teddy bear
succulent
Moist and flavorful
- water storageHolding liquid reserves
- xerophyteDrought-tolerant plant species
- aridDevoid of water
adaptation · resilience · hardiness · shallow roots · heat tolerant · survival · dormancy · moisture retention · desiccation
saguaro
Columnar desert cactus
- yuccaSpiny desert plant
- prickly pearSpine-covered cactus, edible fruit
- barrel cactusStout cylindrical desert succulent
Sonoran · mesquite · agave · creosote · Joshua tree · piñon · juniper · arroyo · mesa · Arizona
fruit
Edible plant ovary
harvest · roasted · traditional food · seasonal · foraging · preparation
nesting
Making a dwelling
- cactus wrenLargest North American wren
- roadrunnerFast terrestrial cuckoo
- packratCompulsive accumulator of objects
woodpecker · shelter · habitat · protection · seeds · fruit · browse · javelina · tortoise · pollinator
- American PlantsAmerican elm, aster, azalea, bluebonnets, bluebonnet
- Cactisaguaro, prickly pear, barrel cactus, cereus, Christmas cactus
- desert lifecamel, cactus, scorpion, rattlesnake, sidewinder
- desert plantssaguaro, prickly pear, agave, barrel cactus, Joshua tree
- Southwestmesa, Monument Valley, Arizona, New Mexico, Grand Canyon
- Southwest Desertsaguaro, saguaro cactus, Sonoran Desert, Sonoran, prickly pear
chollalamb's ear
Soft-leaved ground cover
moss · fern · pussy willow · seaweed · soft grass
chollawater lily
Aquatic flowering plant
lotus · water hyacinth · cattail · duckweed · mangrove