Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) Character: Ji Kangxi Stroke Count: 10 Page 1020, Entry 18 Ancient character form written as Duo. Pronounced ji. According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to the water caltrop. The Discourses of the States (Chu Yu) records that Qu Dao was fond of eating water caltrop. Qu Yuan, in the Encountering Sorrow (Lisao), includes the line: Made water caltrop and lotus leaves into garments. The Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang (Youyang Zazu) mentions that modern people simply refer to them as water caltrops, and various books on plants and trees do not distinguish between them, except for the record of Wang Anpin in the Wuling Record (Wuling Ji), which states: those with four corners or three corners are called ji, while those with two corners are called ling. The Commentary on the Materia Medica (Bencao Zhu) explains that its leaves are branched, which is why the character is derived from the component meaning branch. Also refers to a water name. According to the Commentary on the Water Classic (Shuijing Zhu), the Laixu River flows west through the Ji Ravine. The Collected Rhymes (Jiyun) also writes it as a variant form. The ancient character form is derived from the component meaning branch. The Collected Rhymes also notes it is written with the component for water.