What's the noun for cladode? Here's the word you're looking for.
cladode
(botany) A flattened organ arising from the stem of a plant. These often replace the leaves in photosynthetic function, as leaves in such plants (for example asparagus, butchers broom) are typically reduced to scales. May also refer to the generally flattened shoot such as the cactus shown.
“Anti-diabetic effects of polysaccharides from Opuntia megacantha cladode in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.”
“Female moths lay about 40-100 eggs one on top of the other to form an eggstick that is attached to the tip of a cactus spine or directly to a cladode.”
