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cholla

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cholla

Main Entry:: chol·la
Pronunciation:: \ˈchȯi-yə\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Mexican Spanish, from Spanish, head
Date:: 1846

: any of numerous shrubby opuntias chiefly of the southwestern United States and Mexico that have needlelike spines partly enclosed in a papery sheath and cylindrical joints —called also cholla cactus

[cholla illustration]

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