Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, commonly referred to as buckhorn cholla, is a
cholla native to the
Mojave,
Sonoran, and
Colorado Deserts of North America. Along with Cylindropuntia bigelovii (the "teddy bear" cholla), it is the most common cholla found in these deserts.
Varieties
There are a number of recognized
varieties include:
Early spring was called ko’oak macat (the painful moon) by the
Tohono O’odham because of scarce food supplies. During this season, they turned to cacti for food and pit-roasted thousands of calcium-rich cholla flower buds.
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Today's O’odham people still pit-roast or boil the cholla buds, which taste like asparagus tips.