Origin

The character 芝 combines a grass radical at the top, which classifies it as a plant, with the component 之 below it that serves as a sound hint for pronunciation. The grass radical 艹 tells you this character refers to some kind of vegetation, specifically low-growing plants that form a lawn or turf. The bottom component 之 doesn't contribute meaning but indicates roughly how the character should sound. Together, the combination of "grass" meaning and sound guidance created a character for turf or lawn.