chollas
Barbed desert plants
Chollas are cacti native to the American Southwest and Mexico, known for their cylindrical, segmented 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.
Desert hikers learn to give chollas wide berth: I brushed against a cholla and spent twenty minutes pulling spines from my arm.
Divided into sections
- succulentMoist and flavorful
- xerophyteDrought-tolerant plant species
- propagationAct of spreading widely
- perennialRecurring each year
endemic · drought-resistant · spines · barbed · detachable · joints · stems · photosynthesis
Stiff, pointed projections
- barbedHaving sharp projections
- hookedDeeply dependent or bent
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- piercingPenetrating or very sharp
needle-like · bristly · prickly · painful · embedded · protective · deterrent · anchoring
Devoid of water
- MojaveSouthwestern American desert
- SonoranOf a specific southwestern desert
- scorchingExtremely hot, burning
- barrenUnable to produce
sandy · rocky · harsh · sunbaked · parched · drought · heatwave · survival
Making a dwelling
- woodpeckerTree-drilling bird
- packratCompulsive accumulator of objects
- middenHistorical domestic refuse pile
- pollinationFlower reproductive transfer
birds · rodents · shelter · fruit · seeds · habitat · protective cover · desert tortoise
segmented
Divided into sections
- succulentMoist and flavorful
- xerophyteDrought-tolerant plant species
- propagationAct of spreading widely
perennial · endemic · drought-resistant · spines · barbed · detachable · joints · stems · photosynthesis · transpiration
spines
Stiff, pointed projections
piercing · needle-like · bristly · prickly · painful · embedded · protective · deterrent · anchoring · hitchhiking
arid
Devoid of water
- MojaveSouthwestern American desert
- SonoranOf a specific southwestern desert
- scorchingExtremely hot, burning
barren · sandy · rocky · harsh · sunbaked · parched · drought · heatwave · survival · nocturnal
nesting
Making a dwelling
- woodpeckerTree-drilling bird
- packratCompulsive accumulator of objects
- middenHistorical domestic refuse pile
pollination · birds · rodents · shelter · fruit · seeds · habitat · protective cover · desert tortoise · lizards
saguaro
Columnar desert cactus
adobe · pueblo · chaparral · piñon · turquoise · coyote · monsoon · tumbleweed · Sonoran · bajada
chollaswater lilies
Aquatic flowering pond plants
water hyacinth · aquatic plants · hydrophytes · mosses · lotus