Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) Can; Kangxi strokes: 19 Page 1061, Entry 11 Pronounced sen. Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): Ren-can is a medicinal herb. Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao): Also known as divine herb, human-holding herb, and essence of the earth. When it grows for many years, its root resembles a human shape, hence it is called human-can. The character can follows the meaning of gradually increasing, also signifying the sense of gradual progress. Book of Tang (Tangshu): Geography Treatise: Taiyuan Prefecture offers human-can as a local tribute. Also, Guangya (Expanded Elegance): Deer intestine is yuan-can; bitter heart is sha-can. Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao): Ren-can, yuan-can, sha-can, dan-can, and ku-can are collectively known as the five cans. Also, Jiyun (Collected Rhymes): Pronounced shan. Same as the character shan, a mat used during funeral rites. Jiyun (Collected Rhymes): The character ren-can is sometimes written as can or shen. Liushu Zheng'e (Rectification of the Six Writings): Follows the grass radical with a phonetic element. Sometimes written as can, which is incorrect.