Chen Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Tree (mù) Gao Kangxi stroke count: 14 Page 545, Entry 16 Pronounced kao (rising tone). Explains in Shuo Wen Jie Zi as a withered tree. Also written in a variant form (gao). Book of Changes (Yijing), Explanation of the Trigrams: The Li trigram symbolizes fire; in relation to trees, it manifests as the upper branches withering. Commentary: When the center of plants or trees is hollow and decaying, they will inevitably wither. Also refers to dried fish, called gao. Book of Rites (Liji), Summary of the Rules of Proprietary: Dried fish used in sacrificial offerings is called shang. Commentary: Gao means dry. It is the same as the character (hao) used in the Rites of Zhou (Zhouli) when distinguishing types of fish, where dried fish are referred to as (xianhao). Pronounced kao (falling tone). The meaning is the same. Pronounced gao (rising tone). Refers to gaoben, a type of medicinal herb. Xunzi, Great Summary: Mentions lan, chai, and gaoben. Additionally, the gao in ku-gao (withered) is also pronounced gao (rising tone). Book of Rites (Liji), Record of Music: When still, it is like a withered tree. Also signifies an accumulation. Zuo Tradition (Zuo Zhuan), Third Year of Duke Ai: Fufu Huai cleared away the surface accumulation to open a path to the Duke's palace. Also interchangeable with the character (gao). Ma Rong, Rhapsody on the Long Flute: Holding arrows of bamboo and gao bamboo, with stems standing straight. Commentary: Arrow and gao are names of two types of bamboo. The character gao was originally written with the bamboo radical above the character gao. Textual Correction: The line from Book of Rites (Liji), Summary of the Rules of Proprietary, reading sacrifices of gao fish are called shang has been corrected according to the original text to gao fish are called shang sacrifices.