How to Write 蕺 (jí) — Meaning “houttuynia (fish mint)”

Imagine a grassy field (艹) where you "gather" (揤, like picking) the smelly fish mint (蕺). The top part looks like two leaves, and the bottom part resembles a hand plucking the plant.

Pay attention to the right side below the grass radical: it is written as 揤 with a 扌 (hand) on the left. Do not mix up the strokes of 口 and 耳 inside; the component is 咠 (jī), which has a 口 on top and 耳 below, not 口 twice.

蕺 specifically refers to houttuynia (fish mint), while 葄 (zuò) means a kind of mat or bedding plant and is very rare. 蒗 (làng) is used in place names like 蒗蕖 and has a water-related meaning, unlike 蕺 which is always about the edible herb.

蕺 appears mainly in the word 蕺菜 (jí cài) for houttuynia cordata, a herb eaten in salads or soups in southern China. The mountain 蕺山 in Shaoxing is historically famous, and the plant is known for its strong fishy smell, which some people love and others dislike.

Common words containing 蕺 include: 蕺菜 (jí cài) — houttuynia cordata (fish mint); 采蕺 (cǎi jí) — to gather fishwort (Houttuynia); 蕺山 (jí shān) — Jishan (a mountain in Shaoxing).