籍

jí
Top: bamboo 竹, bottom: 耤 (a tree 耒 used as a tally stick with many notches 丰, cut into to count things, right: old days 昔
Bamboo or tally sticks were in old days used as a registry.

耕

gēng
Left: 耒 (tree 木 with many branches), right: a well 井 (here: image of crossing plow lines)
For the plant to get many branches you need to plow.

耗

hào
Left: 耒 (tree 木 with many branches), right: hair 毛
A tree as with hair shows its: decrease.

藕

ǒu
Top: plant 艹, bottom: 耦 (tree with many branches 耒), scorpion 禺 (carapace 田, insect 虫 and long legs 冂)
The plant with the many branches at the scopions is: the roots of lotus.