Plural of cholla, a type of spiny cactus with cylindrical joints native to the southwestern United States and Mexico.
From Spanish 'cholla,' borrowed from Nahuatl 'chollin.' The term originally referred to the Mexican plant and was adopted into English when settlers encountered these distinctive cacti in the American Southwest.
Chollas have a sneaky defense mechanism—their stem segments detach so easily that just brushing past can embed dozens of spines in your skin, which is why they're sometimes called 'jumping' cacti, even though they don't actually jump!
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