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The character 茯 is a phono-semantic compound with the grass radical 艹 on top, indicating its botanical category. The lower component 伏 provides the phonetic element for its pronunciation. 茯 is used exclusively in the compound word 茯苓, referring to Poria cocos, an underground medicinal fungus growing on pine roots and widely used in traditional herbal medicine. It cannot stand alone and has no other meanings or uses outside this specific botanical and pharmaceutical context.
Etymology Hide
