Xu Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Leaf (yè) Kangxi Strokes: 17 Page 1406, Entry 03 Pronounced ke (rising tone). Shuowen Jiezi (Dictionary of Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters): Indicates a small head. Yunhui (Collection of Rhymes): Used for counting individual items, similar to the word for a head. Liushu Gu (Refinements of the Six Writings): Used to count all round objects. Also used to describe strings of pearls. Same as the variant form (ke). Refers to a clod of earth. Book of Han (Hanshu), Biography of Jia Shan: His descendants could not obtain even a clod of earth covered in weeds to cover a grave. Commentary: The term indicates a clod of earth. The phrase overgrown clod refers to a clod of earth with weeds growing upon it. Jiyun (Collection of Rhymes): Pronounced kuan (rising tone). Name of a plant. Erya (Approaching Elegance), Interpretation of Plants: The plant known as tu-xi is also called ke-dong. Commentary: This is coltsfoot. Sub-commentary: A type of medicinal herb. Also known as tu-xi or ke-dong. Personal names: Wei Ke, a grandee of the State of Jin. Shi Ke, a grandee of the State of Qin. Both appear in the Zuo Commentary (Zuozhuan). Zhengzitong (True Meaning of Characters): The character was originally written as a different form with nine strokes. The Dictionary of Characters (Zihui) incorrectly categorizes it under eight strokes. The original form of the character featured a field symbol above a wood symbol on the left side.