纸莎草[注 1]（学名：Cyperus papyrus，英文名：papyrus, papyrus sedge），又称纸草（英语：Paper reed）、埃及莎草、埃及纸草、蒲草（Bulrush）、埃及蒲草、印度丛草（Indian matting plant）。属于莎草科莎草属。是北非洲原产的一种多年生草本植物。
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纸莎草是一种高而坚韧的挺水植物，约可长到4至5米高。它绿色、长秆状的茎横切面为三角形，从粗厚的地下茎中长出。每一条茎的顶端都会长出一簇浓密的、放射状（像烟火一般）的叶。叶子细长、通常呈亮绿色，长度约10至30公分。当植物还年幼的时候，这簇叶子的生长型态就像鸡毛撢一样。花是绿褐色，生长在叶簇的末端。果实呈褐色。地下茎在刚长出时会被一层红褐色的纸质层覆盖，这层三角形的鳞状层也覆盖了茎的基部。
纸莎草生长在热带至亚热带的环境中，不论是潮湿的森林或干燥的沙漠，只要全年均温在20到30℃且土壤pH值在6.0-8.5就可以生长。纸莎草的花在暮夏盛开，并且倾向于在全日照到半阴凉的环境开花。像许多典型的热带植物一样，纸莎草对霜很敏感。
纸莎草的分布遍及在沼泽、浅水湖和溪畔等非洲的潮湿部分，但在尼罗河三角洲已逐渐变得稀少。在较深的水中，纸莎草是构成植被的主要植物（被称为sudd）。现今它的野生分布存在于刚果、马达加斯加岛、乌干达、埃塞俄比亚和西西里岛。
纸莎草羽毛状的花是许多社会性鸟类筑巢的地点。像许多莎草科植物一样，它是风媒花，且果实由流水带走。
今天，纸莎草被培育、改良为装饰性的植物。其中C. nanus（矮纸莎草）、C. profiler两个品种只会长到约1米高。
古埃及人使用纸莎草的用途有很多。其中，最有名的应该是莎草纸的制作。在希腊文和英文中，“莎草纸”这个字的语源被许多人认为是来自于古埃及语，但这是谬传。纸莎草现在被广泛的运用于制作装饰品，例如莎草纸画。在古代，纸莎草在尼罗河三角洲有着相当广泛的分布，然而现在它在尼罗河三角洲的原生种群却濒临绝灭。在泰奥弗拉斯托斯的《植物史》（Historia Plantarum，卷十）一书中写到纸莎草在叙利亚也有分布。而根据老普林尼的《博物志》一书，纸莎草是尼罗河及幼发拉底河流域的原生植物。
此外，古埃及人利用多种莎草科的植物的花来制作敬神的花圈。而嫩枝则被当作食物。它多纤维的地下茎则用来制作碗等多种器具，有时也当作燃料。而茎则用来编制苇舟（在埃及第四王朝的浮雕中，描绘了壮年男子采集莎草制作苇舟的情形），类似的船在苏丹也能发现。
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