Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) Lian Kangxi strokes: 17 Page 1052, Entry 16 Ancient character ling. Pronounced luo (falling tone). Pronounced ling (level tone). According to the Commentary on the Erya (Erya shu), people in the north refer to the lotus as he. Also, according to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen), it is the fruit of the lotus flower. According to the Erya, Explication of Grasses, it is called he or fuqu. Its fruit is called lian. Note: lian refers to the lotus seed pod. Also pronounced lian (level tone). According to the History of the Former Han, Treatise on Geography (Qian Han, dili zhi), there is a place called Lianshao in Zuofengyi. According to the Commentary on the Biography of Zheng Xing in the History of the Later Han (Hou Han, Zheng Xing zhuan zhu), Lianshao is the site of an ancient city located to the northeast of Xiapi County in present-day Tongzhou. Also, according to the Supplement to the Collection of Characters (Zihui bu), it is a type of grass. According to the Expanded Glossaries (Guangya), the iris known as wulian is also called shegan.