spinifex
/ˈspɪnɪfɛks
/noun
A grass with coarse spiny leaves and spiny flower heads which break off and are blown about like tumbleweed, occurring from East Asia to Australia.
- Genus Spinifex, family Gramineae.
- Alex had stood on the rocks above him, and could see the blood trickling out from beneath the spinifex tussocks.
- Here he had pulled a spinifex tussock to the cave entrance, and sung a powerful magic song.
Origin
Early 19th century: modern Latin, from Latin spina 'thorn' + -fex from facere 'make'.