About
The character 蒺 (jí) is a phono-semantic compound denoting a thorny, creeping plant. Its upper component, the grass radical 艹 (cǎo), sets the semantic category within the plant kingdom. The lower part, 疋 (jí), meaning "illness" or "speed", serves here as the phonetic element. It is chiefly found in the botanical term 蒺藜 (jílí), referring to Tribulus terrestris, or puncture vine, known for its spiny seed pods. Due to the plant's natural shape, the term was also adopted in ancient military contexts to describe iron caltrops used to impede cavalry and infantry.