稊

The glyph denotes a thin, grass-like plant within the cereal category:

1. Young Shoots: The initial, slender blades of grain before the stalk thickens.

2. Invasive Weeds: Specifically "darnels" or "tares" (Lolium temulentum), wild grasses that mimic the appearance of wheat or barley.

Primarily a noun. When used to modify another noun, it likely describes a thin, blade-like texture or a state of being unrefined or wild.

In the sense of "young shoots," it is similar to 苗 (sprout) but emphasizes a thinner, more precarious, or grass-like appearance.

Fanqie reading: 杜奚. Semantic variant: U+413A.

The glyph does not distinguish between a young version of the intended crop and a weed that mimics it. The choice depends on the thematic direction of the passage: context concerning growth, seasonality, or fragility suggests "young shoots" or "tender blades," while context concerning purity, corruption, weeding, or agricultural failure suggests "darnels," "tares," or "wild grass."