hemp-like plant, taro, herb
莒 refers to a type of plant, specifically a hemp-like plant or taro, and by extension an herb. The meanings center on a fibrous or starchy useful plant.
莒 combines the grass radical 艹 with 吕, which may have contributed a phonetic element. The exact historical development is uncertain, but it likely originally named a specific plant.
The grass top 艹 over the double-mouth 吕 looks like a plant with stacked leaves or tubers. Picture a taro plant with layered roots growing under the grass.
For キョ, imagine a giant taro plant so big it casts a shadow over Kyoto: Kyoto -> キョ, and the plant is the famous莒.