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茯 is a phono-semantic compound: the upper element is the grass radical 艹 (cǎo), which categorizes the character within the realm of plants, herbs, and botanical substances. The lower element, 伏 (fú), serves exclusively as a phonetic indicator. The character has no independent use; it is bound entirely to the compound word 茯苓 (fúlíng). This compound names Poria cocos, a medicinal fungus that grows underground on the roots of pine trees and is widely utilized in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Because of its restricted role, 茯 lacks any alternative meanings or occurrences outside this single term.
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