Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) Lü Kangxi Stroke Count: 15 Page 1044, Entry 13 Pronounced lü (falling tone), a creeping vine. In the Comprehensive Dictionary (Yupian), it is described as resembling a kudzu vine but possessing thorns. According to the Materia Medica (Bencao), the stems of this plant have fine thorns that easily scratch human skin, which is why it was called the scratching grass. This was later corrupted into the current name.