Bottom tree radical — the indexing component. Originally 条 referred to a long thin twig stripped from a branch; from that physical strip came the measure word for any long thin thing (a road, a fish, a piece of news), and the abstract 'clause, item' of a list or contract. Family: 林 (grove), 枝 (branch), 棍 (stick).
Top 夂 — in this position a graphic residue of the original top of traditional 條, which combined 攸 (a person being whipped along, water flowing) with 木 below. The simplification compressed the upper element to this 3-stroke 夂 shape. Now visually only — read it as the stylised top-cap, not the literal 'walking down' Kangxi radical 夂.
