Cholla Cactus

 This is a cholla (pronounced choy-ya) cactus or Cylindropuntia fulgida. The long strands hanging down are cholla fruit. There is a different species of cholla just to the right of the big cactus, that is known as a pencil cholla or Cylindropuntia arbuscula (Engelm.) F.M. Knuth. In the background to the left, hidden by a bush is a prickly pear cactus or Opuntia. I can't quite see enough of the Opuntia to tell which species it is but it is probably the Opuntia engelmannii or Englemann Prickly Pear. If you look way in the back of this photo, you can see some saguaro cactus or Carnegiea gigantea. You might have to click on the photo to see the saguaro. Right behind the stem of the large cholla, you can see a Hedgehog Cactus or Echinocereus engelmannii. There are also some Cylindropuntia bigelovii or teddy bear cholla in the background. Everything out in the desert and everywhere else probably has its own name. It makes the world seem like home when you know the names of some of the plants.