Teddybear Cholla

This is, I believe, the Teddybear Cholla, a cactus that was just beginning to bloom when we hiked to Fortynine Palms Oasis in Joshua Tree National Park. In spite of its name it is not a plant one would want to hug. Pieces of it come off easily and attach themselves to shoes and shirts and are very difficult to detach. For that reasons it is sometimes called the Jumping Cactus.