Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) Zi Kangxi Strokes: 9 Page 1018, Entry 22 Pronounced zi (falling tone). Shuowen Jiezi (Dictionary of Characters): The female hemp plant. One source suggests that the zi is the male hemp plant. Also, Guangya (Expanded Elegance): An embankment or dike. Also, Zhengyun (Correct Rhymes): Pronounced zi (rising tone). Interchangable with zi. Rites of Zhou (Zhouli): The official in charge of royal fields leads his subordinates to cultivate the land. Commentary: To hoe means to weed and heap earth around the roots. Also pronounced ci (rising tone). Book of Han (Hanshu): Citing the Book of Odes (Shijing): Some are weeding, some are heaping earth. Read with a level tone. Also, Jiyun (Rhyme Collection): Pronounced zi (level tone). A type of grass. It is the rue plant. Also written as the variant form zi.