Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Barilla \Ba*ril"la\ (b[.a]*r[i^]l"l[.a]), n. [Sp. barrilla.]
   1. (Bot.) A name given to several species of Salsola from
      which soda is made, by burning the barilla in heaps and
      lixiviating the ashes.

   2. (Com.)
      (a) The alkali produced from the plant, being an impure
          carbonate of soda, used for making soap, glass, etc.,
          and for bleaching purposes.
      (b) Impure soda obtained from the ashes of any seashore
          plant, or kelp. --Ure.

   {Copper barilla} (Min.), native copper in granular form mixed
      with sand, an ore brought from Bolivia; -- called also
      {Barilla de cobre}.

Source : WordNet®

barilla
     n 1: bushy plant of Old World salt marshes and sea beaches having
          prickly leaves; burned to produce a crude soda ash [syn:
           {saltwort}, {glasswort}, {kali}, {kelpwort}, {Salsola
          kali}, {Salsola soda}]
     2: Algerian plant formerly burned to obtain calcium carbonate
        [syn: {Halogeton souda}]