Ramie

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

ramie
    n 1: tall perennial herb of tropical Asia with dark green
         leaves; cultivated for the fiber from its woody stems that
         resembles flax [syn: {ramie}, {ramee}, {Chinese silk
         plant}, {China grass}, {Boehmeria nivea}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Ramie \Ram"ie\ (r[a^]m"[-e]), n. [From Malay.] (Bot.)
   The grasscloth plant ({B[oe]hmeria nivea}); also, its fiber,
   which is very fine and exceedingly strong; -- called also
   {China grass}, and {rhea}. See {Grass-cloth plant}, under
   {Grass}.
   [1913 Webster]