About
The character 苤 is a phono-semantic compound where the upper radical 艹 (grass/plant) classifies it as a botanical term, while the lower component 丕 provides the pronunciation "piě" and carries the classical meaning of "great". In modern Chinese, it is used almost exclusively in the compound "苤蓝" (piělán) to denote kohlrabi, a cultivated variety of wild cabbage recognized by its stout, round, tuberous stem. As a specific identifier for this vegetable, it lacks broader abstract or grammatical uses outside of this culinary and agricultural context.