cactus as a tree?

[Joel S. Berson]

At 3/10/2012 01:47 PM, Larry Sheldon wrote:
>On 3/10/2012 9:26 AM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>
>>>Look through these and tell me what you see.  Saguaro, Cholla,
>>>Joshua (Maybe not).
>>Hey, they call it a Joshua tree, not a Joshua "tree".  Of course, it
>>could be argued that despite its moniker a Joshua tree is no more a
>>tree than peanut butter is butter. And then there's phone sex.  But
>>still.
>
>My "Maybe not" indicated a question in my mind abort the Joshua Tree's
>status as a cactus--I'm not sure it is.  (And I see now that I'm not
>sure what a cactus is.)

As some Supreme Court justice said, "I may not be able to define
'cactus', but I know it when I'm stabbed by one."

Joel


>Bing says:  spiky desert plant: a spiny leafless plant with fleshy stems
>and branches and often with brilliantly colored flowers
>
>Joshua Trees have leaves.
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