NPS Natural History Handbook: Organ Pipe Cactus

ORGAN PIPE CACTUS
National Monument

Glossary

Term	Origin	Pronunciation	Meaning or usage
Agave	Spanish	ah-GAH-vay	Centuryplant.
Ajo	Spanish	AH-hoh	Garlic.
Agua Dulce	Spanish	AH-wah DOOL-say	Sweet water.
Aguajita	Spanish	AH-wah HE-tah	Emitting water.
Arroyo	Spanish	ah-ROY-oh	A gully.
Bajada	Spanish	bah-HAH-dah	Sloping plain.
Bisnaga	Indian	bees-NAH-gah	A barrelcactus.
Cabeza Prieta	Spanish	kah-BAY-sah pree-ET-ah	Black head.
Cereus	Latin	SEE-re-us	Cactus genus.
Cholla	Spanish	CHO-yah	Bush-type cactus.
Datil	Spanish	DAT-ill	Date; fruit like a date.
Echinocereus	Latin	e-KINE-oh-SEE-re-us	A cactus group, or genus.
Galleta	Spanish	gah-YET-ah	Desert clump grass.
Gila	Indian	HEE-lah	River in southern Arizona.
Gneiss Probably	Latin	nice or NAY-is	Crystalline rock.
Iguana	Spanish	e-goo-AH-nah	A lizard.
Jojoba	Probably Indian	hob-HOH-bah	An evergreen shrub.
Kino	Spanish	KEE-noh	A Spanish proper name.
La Abra	Spanish	lah AH-brah	A dale, or valley.
Mesa	Spanish	MAY-sah	A table; a flat-topped mountain.
Mesquite	Spanish form of an Indian word.	mess-KEET	A desert tree.
Ocotillo	Spanish	oh-koh-TEE-yoh	A desert shrub.
Paloverde (the plant)	Spanish	PAHL-oh-VEHR-dey	Green stick.
Papago	Spanish form of a native name.	PAHP-ah-go	Desert Indian tribe.
Papagueria	Spanish	PAHP-ah-geh -REE-ah	Land of Papago Indians.
Phainopepla	Latin	fane-oh-PEP-lah	One of the silky fly catchers.
Pima	Spanish form of a native name.	PEE-mah	A desert Indian tribe.
Pitahaya dulce	Spanish	pee-TAH-yah DOOL-say	Sweet fruit of a cactus.
Puerto Blanco	Spanish	poo-EHR-toh BLAHN-coh	White pass.
Quitobaquito	Indian	KEE-toh-bah-KEE-toh	Spring and pond in southwest corner of monument.
Reina-de-la noche	Spanish	ray-E-nah de la NO-chay	Queen-of-the-night.
Rincon	Spanish	reen-CONE	An inside corner.
Saguaro	Spanish form of an Indian word.	sah-WAH-roe	Giant cactus.
Sangre de drago	Spanish	SAHN-gray de DRAH-go	Blood of the dragon.
Sapium	Latin	SAY-pee-um	A plant genus.
Senita	Spanish	sen-EE-tah	The old one.
Sierra	Spanish	see-EHR-rah	Saw-toothed-ridge mountain range.
Tinaja	Spanish	tee-NAH-hah	Water jar; a pothole.
Tomatillo	Spanish	toh-mah-TEE-yoh	A little tomato.
Tuna	Spanish	TOO-nah	Cactus fruit; Indian fig.
Yucca	Spanish	YUH-kuh or YOU-kuh	Stiff-leaved plant; soapweed.

Last Modified: Sat, Nov 4 2006 10:00:00 pm PST
natural/6/nh6j.htm