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The character 芰 is a standard phono-semantic compound: the upper radical 艹 ('grass') classifies it within the semantic field of grasses, herbs, and herbaceous plants, while the lower component 支 provides its pronunciation. It names the water caltrop, an aquatic plant that produces an edible aquatic nut with a distinctive horn-like shape. Although a precise botanical noun, 芰 appears frequently in classical poetry and botanical treatises, often paired with 荷 (lotus) to describe natural aquatic environments and the specialized flora of shallow lakes and ponds.
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