Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) Ling; Kangxi stroke count: 11 Page 1022, Entry 24 Pronounced ling. Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): It is the cocklebur. Erya (Approaching Elegance), Interpretation of Grasses: The cocklebur is called ling-ear. Commentary: The cocklebur has a shape like an ear and grows in tufts resembling a plate. Lu Ji’s Commentary: It can be boiled as a vegetable; the texture is smooth and the taste is bland. In mid-fourth month, it bears seeds that resemble earrings worn by women. In the You province region, it is called jue-ear. Boya (Broad Refinement): Ling-ear is the same as the rough cocklebur. Also, from Book of Odes (Shijing), Beifeng: The mountain has hazel trees, the marsh has ling. Commentary: Ling refers to the great bitter herb. Also refers to poria, the name of a medicinal herb. Huainanzi (The Masters of Huainan), Sayings of the Mountains: Under a thousand-year-old pine tree, poria grows. Records of Wei (Weizhi): Xi Jian from Yingchuan was able to fast from grains and consume poria. Also refers to polyporus (zhu ling). Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao) Commentary: Its lump-like form is black and resembles pig excrement, which is how it acquired its name. Han Yu, Discourse on Advancing Learning: This is like using sweet flag to prolong life, but offering polyporus instead. Also refers to a place name. Book of Jin (Jinshu), Treatise on Geography: Fuling County, subordinate to Jiude Commandery. Also used interchangeably with ling (to wither). Shuowen Jiezi: When grass withers it is called ling, when trees wither it is called luo. Pronounced lian. Name of an herb. Mei Cheng, Seven Stimuli: Creeping plants and fragrant ling. Commentary: This is the ancient form of the character for lotus. Rhyme Compilation (Yunhui): Also written in a variant form (ling). Also written in a variant form (ling).