noun
soft rush; common rush
Refers to the plant Juncus effusus var. decipiens, often used in tatami mats. The katakana spelling イ is standard.
See also: イグサ
イは畳の材料として使われる。
Soft rush is used as a material for tatami mats.
イグサ is the more common name for the same plant; イ is a shorter, less common variant.
The historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling 藺 is conventionally associated with this plant.