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The character 蓼 is a phono-semantic compound with the grass radical 艹 (cǎo) on top, indicating its connection to plants, and the phonetic component 翏 (liù) below. In Chinese botanical and medical texts, 蓼 consistently refers to plants of the Polygonum genus, known as smartweed or knotweed. These plants are bitter and often grow in wetlands. The character's meaning is strictly botanical, with no metaphorical uses, and it frequently appears in pharmacological contexts for its medicinal properties.
Etymology Hide
