halfa grass
English
Etymology
From Arabic حَلْفَا (ḥalfā).
Noun
halfa grass (countable and uncountable, plural halfa grasses)
- A north African and south Asian grass, Desmostachya bipinnata, with tough stems woven into rope, sandals, mats, etc., and sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions.
- Synonym: kusha grass
- Other north African grasses with similar uses, such as sparto (Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum sparticum) and cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica)