Cactolith

A cactolith is "a quasihorizontal chonolith composed of anastomosing ductoliths whose distal ends curl like a harpolith, thin like a sphenolith, or bulge discordantly like an akmolith or ethmolith."

The term was coined by Charles B. Hunt, a USGS researcher, in his paper "Geology and geography of the Henry Mountains region, Utah" (1953).[1][2] He was in fact describing an actual geological feature—a laccolith which he saw as resembling a cactus—he was also, tongue-in-cheek, commenting on what he saw as an absurd number of "-lith" words in the field of geology.

References
  1. Hunt, C. B., et al, 1953. USGS Prof. Paper 228, p. 151 (quoted in the Glossary of Geology, Bates and Jackson, 1980)
  2. Jabberokey, West Australian Geologist, Number 475 — February/March 09 Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine
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