a plant yielding a red dye

Components
艹 meaning component

  Meaning component

caocǎo

  

grass

plant

此 sound component

  Sound component

  

this

Evolution

茈 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
茈 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
茈 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

a plant yielding a red dye

 

Common Gromwell or European stoneseed (Lithospermum officinale)