How to Write 茼 (tóng) — Meaning “crown daisy (a type of vegetable)”

Imagine a crown daisy plant: its leaves all look the "same" (同) under the "grass" (艹). So remember: "the grass that looks all the same is crown daisy."

Start with the grass radical 艹 as three strokes: a horizontal line, then two short vertical lines downward. Then write the bottom part 同: first the outer vertical stroke, then the horizontal and vertical strokes to make a box, and finish with the inner opening.

茼 has 同 below the grass radical, while 兹 has 玄 (twisted silk) and 芈 has a vertical line with two horizontal strokes. Also, 茼 means a vegetable, 兹 means "now" or "this", and 芈 is a rare surname or the sound a sheep makes.

It appears mainly in the word 茼蒿 (tóng hāo), a leafy vegetable often stir-fried or added to hot pot. It has a unique fragrance and is especially popular in Taiwan and southern China.

Common words containing 茼 include: 茼蒿 (tóng hāo) — crown daisy / garland chrysanthemum; 茼蒿菜 (tóng hāo cài) — crown daisy vegetable; 炒茼蒿 (chǎo tóng hāo) — stir-fried crown daisy.