prickly pear cactus
Spiny desert fruit-bearer
A cactus of the genus Opuntia, distinguished by flat, paddle-shaped stems covered in spines.
Native to the Americas, prickly pears produce edible fruit (tunas) and pads (nopales) used in Mexican and Southwestern cooking.
The plants thrive in arid conditions and have spread to dry regions worldwide, sometimes becoming invasive.
Large edible ocean fish
- nopalesEdible cactus segments
- salsaSpicy tomato condiment
- compoteFruit cooked in syrup
- smoothiePuréed fruit beverage
marmalade · syrup · fiber · tart · sweet · seeds · pulp · juice
Light-to-sugar conversion in plants
- chlorophyllLight-harvesting plant pigment
- stomataMicroscopic plant pores
- xerophyteDrought-tolerant plant species
- perennialRecurring each year
drought-tolerant · cultivar · pad · segmented · spines · propagation · cutting · jointed
Devoid of water
- sandFine rock particles
- dunesWind-formed sand ridges
- sunbakedDried by solar heat
- scorchingExtremely hot, burning
oasis · drought · barren · mesa · arroyo · chaparral · saguaro · coyote
Thick with soft tissue
- thick-skinnedResistant to criticism
- drought-resistantAble to withstand aridity
- turgidSwollen or pompous
- pulpySoft and fibrous
mucilaginous · spongy · adaptive · resilient
tuna
Large edible ocean fish
smoothie · marmalade · syrup · fiber · tart · sweet · seeds · pulp · juice · foraged
photosynthesis
Light-to-sugar conversion in plants
- chlorophyllLight-harvesting plant pigment
- stomataMicroscopic plant pores
- xerophyteDrought-tolerant plant species
perennial · drought-tolerant · cultivar · pad · segmented · spines · propagation · cutting · jointed
arid
Devoid of water
scorching · oasis · drought · barren · mesa · arroyo · chaparral · saguaro · coyote · tumbleweed
fleshy
Thick with soft tissue
- thick-skinnedResistant to criticism
- drought-resistantAble to withstand aridity
- turgidSwollen or pompous
pulpy · mucilaginous · spongy · adaptive · resilient
petals
Colored bloom segments
- pollinationFlower reproductive transfer
- stamenPollen-producing flower organ
- pistilSeed-producing flower organ
nectar · blossom · anther · pollen · sepals · flowering · yellow flowers · magenta · showy · spring
- Madagascarlemurs, baobab, baobabs, ring-tailed lemur, vanilla
prickly pear cactuswater lily
Aquatic flowering plant
lotus · cattail · water hyacinth · fern · moss
prickly pear cactuslamb's ear
Soft-leaved ground cover
moss · fern · petunia · rose petal · magnolia
prickly, cactus, prickle, pears, pricked, cactuses, prickling, prickliness, cactuslike