nipa

Etymology 1

From Malay nipah. Compare Portuguese nipa, Italian nipa (“liquor made from nipa palms”).

noun

1. A palm tree of the species Nypa fruticans.
2. A liquor made from the sap of nipa palms.
3. The leaves of the nipa palm, when used as a material for thatching, basketry or other uses.

Etymology 2

From Cocopa ɲipa.

noun

1. Distichlis palmeri, a saltgrass native to the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and the United States, Palmer's grass.
   The perennial saltgrass nipa (Distichlis palmeri, Poaceae) is endemic to northern Gulf of California tidal marshes flooded with hypersaline seawater. 2012, S.L. Pearlsteina, R.S. Felgera, E.P. Glenna, J. Harringtond, K.A. Al-Ghaneme, S.G. Nelson, “Nipa (Distichlis palmeri): A perennial grain crop for saltwater irrigation”, in Journal of Arid Environments, →DOI, page 60
   Once a staple of the Cocopa people, wild populations of nipa have been greatly reduced due to dams and other watershed disruptions. April 17, 2013, Eric Toensmeier, “Perennial Cereal Grains: A Promise Requiring Patience and Prioritization”, in Perennial Solutions