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The character 荨, traditionally written as 蕁, combines the semantic radical 艹 (cǎo), indicating a plant, with the phonetic component 寻 (xún). Its meaning varies with pronunciation: as qián, it denotes a stinging nettle of the Urtica genus; as xún, it appears in the term 荨麻疹 (xúnmázhěn), meaning hives or nettle rash, a skin condition marked by itchy welts, often from allergic reaction. The grass radical appropriately classifies the botanical source, while the phonetic element helps specify both the plant species and the related medical condition.
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