mátaho, "cactuses" (Hart 1981: 16; Fisher et al. 2012)
> matȧhó'ómo, "cactus on cactus" (Hart 1981: 16; Fisher et al. 2012)
Spinystar is probably the most widespread ball-shaped cactus of the USA. It is resistant to frost. The ball-shaped stems frequently form huge clusters including as many as 200 stems. A single plant is 5 to 15 cm tall and 2 to 10 cm wide. 12 to 20 white or green marginal thorns and mostly 4 red-brown central thorns, up to 2 cm long, grow from areolas. Flowers are purple, up tu 4 cm wide. Fruit is green berry, 12 to 18 mm in diameter, containing brown seeds. Spinystar grows on the plains, on stony soils. It ranges throughout the Great Plains, from Alberta and Manitoba to Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
Cheyennes boiled and ate fresh or dried fruits of this cactus (Hart 1981: 16).
