china grass

China grass
    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}]
    

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}.
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China \Chi"na\, n.
   1. A country in Eastern Asia.
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   2. China ware, which is the modern popular term for
      porcelain. See {Porcelain}.
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   {China aster} (Bot.), a well-known garden flower and plant.
      See {Aster}.

   {China bean}. See under {Bean}, 1.

   {China clay} See {Kaolin}.

   {China grass}, Same as {Ramie}.

   {China ink}. See {India ink}.

   {China pink} (Bot.), an anual or biennial species of
      {Dianthus} ({Dianthus Chiensis}) having variously colored
      single or double flowers; Indian pink.

   {China root} (Med.), the rootstock of a species of {Smilax}
      ({Smilax China}, from the East Indies; -- formerly much
      esteemed for the purposes that sarsaparilla is now used
      for. Also the galanga root (from {Alpinia Gallanga} and
      {Alpinia officinarum}).

   {China rose}. (Bot.)
      (a) A popular name for several free-blooming varieties of
          rose derived from the {Rosa Indica}, and perhaps other
          species.
      (b) A flowering hothouse plant ({Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis})
          of the Mallow family, common in the gardens of China
          and the east Indies.

   {China shop}, a shop or store for the sale of China ware or
      of crockery.

   {Pride of China}, {China tree}. (Bot.) See {Azedarach}.
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