蓿 (xu): (in 苜蓿) alfalfa; lucerne

Meanings

苜蓿是一种多年生草本植物，嫩苗可以吃。

Mùxu shì yī zhǒng duōniánshēng cǎoběn zhíwù, nèn miáo kěyǐ chī.

Alfalfa is a perennial herb whose tender shoots can be eaten.

苜蓿在春天开紫色的小花。

Mùxu zài chūntiān kāi zǐsè de xiǎo huā.

Alfalfa blooms with small purple flowers in spring.

usage

Only used in 苜蓿, where it is read in a light neutral tone. It never appears alone in modern Chinese.

radical

艹 cǎo

grass; plant

The grass radical, a top form of 草. It marks this as a plant, here the second half of the alfalfa word.

phonetic

宿 sù

lodge; stay overnight

Supplies the sound, 宿 shifting to a light xu in this word. It contributes no meaning here; it is purely the phonetic part of this plant character.

蓿 xu