hedgehog cactus

American  

noun

1. any of various rounded, usually spiny cacti of the genus Echinocereus, of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, having bell-shaped flowers that close at night.

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Etymology

Origin of hedgehog cactus

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Example Sentences

The plant is also known as the snowball cactus, hedgehog cactus or Columbia Plateau cactus.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2023

Some environmentalists also oppose the project, arguing that it would eventually reduce habitat for endangered species, including the hedgehog cactus and narrow-headed garter snake.

From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2023

It would also lower the water table and potentially hurt a nearby population of endangered Arizona hedgehog cactus and other species, including the yellow-billed cuckoo and the endangered gila chub, a small, colorful fish.

From National Geographic • Jan. 15, 2021

The general area is also home to diverse plants and animals, including the endangered hedgehog cactus.

From National Geographic • Jan. 15, 2021

At the left, the length of her page, she drew a gigantic specimen of Opuntia Tuna, covered with flowers, and well-developed specimens of the pears whose coloring ran into the shades of the hedgehog cactus.

From Her Father's Daughter by Stratton-Porter, Gene