lotus root

藕 is composed of the radical 艸 (grass) and 耦 (plowshare). 艸 represents plants, while the original meaning of 耦 is two people ploughing side by side, carrying the sense of joining or connecting. When the underground stem of the lotus is broken, the fibers remain connected, as if still striving to stay joined and unwilling to separate. Therefore, 藕 is used to represent it.