burdock
蒡 refers specifically to burdock, a plant with large leaves and edible roots. The meaning is narrow and botanical, without broader abstract extensions.
蒡 combines the grass radical 艹 with 旁, which likely contributes a phonetic element. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the structure points to a plant name.
The top 艹 shows it's a plant, and the bottom 旁 suggests something broad or side-like. Picture a broad-leaved plant growing at the side of the road: that's burdock.
For ボウ, imagine a bow made from a burdock stalk: bow -> ボウ, and the plant's tough stem is bent into a bow.
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great burdock (Arctium lappa); gobo
simmered burdock root seasoned with sesame and vinegar
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
stone wall construction technique, with smallest stone surfaces facing outwards; burdock piling
Cirsium dipsacolepis (perennial plant of the thistle family)
scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica); Spanish salsify; viper's grass
kinpira gobō; braised burdock root; chopped burdock root (and sometimes carrot) cooked in sugar and soy sauce