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蓼 is a phono-semantic character built from the grass radical 艹 (cǎo) on top, signaling a botanical term, and the phonetic 翏 (liù) beneath. It traditionally refers to Polygonum plants, known as smartweed or knotweed, which are bitter and thrive in wetlands. Valued in Chinese medicine for their properties, these plants appear in pharmacological texts. The term has no metaphorical meanings, remaining strictly botanical.
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