Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) Page 1018, Entry 16 Pronounced qiong Xiongqiong is a type of aromatic herb. Yang Xiong in the Rhapsody on the Sweet Springs (Ganquan fu) wrote, "Releasing orchid and orchid-grass together with xiongqiong." The commentary explains that the leaves of xiongqiong resemble those of the ligusticum plant. The Commentary on the Materia Medica (Bencao zhu) states: The character for xiong was originally written as a variant form (qiong). Some say that because the human skull is elevated and arched like the shape of the sky, and because this medicinal herb acts upward and is specifically used to treat various conditions such as headaches, it is called xiongqiong. The ancients, because the shape of its root joints resembled a horse bit, called it horse-bit xiong. Later generations, because its shape resembled a sparrow's head, called it sparrow-brain xiong. Those produced in Guanzhong are called jing xiong, those from the Shu region are called chuan xiong, those from Tiantai are called tai xiong, and those from Jiangnan are called fu xiong. The Record of Investigations of Things (Bowuzhi) records: Its sprout is called jiangli, and its root is called xiongqiong. Also, the Collection of Rhymes (Yunhui) notes the pronunciation as gong. The meaning is the same.