About
The character 蕺 designates the herbaceous plant Houttuynia cordata, commonly known as fish mint for the fish-like odor of its leaves. A phono-semantic compound, it combines the grass radical 艹 on top, marking a plant category, with the phonetic component 戢 below indicating the pronunciation. It appears historically in agricultural texts, botanical encyclopedias, and regional literature from areas where the plant is cultivated for culinary or medicinal purposes. The meaning is limited strictly to this plant name, with no extended or figurative uses.
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.