Radix Sophorae kosam kujin

LATIN NAME: SOPHORA JAPONICA

COMMON NAME: Sophora Root, Ku Jin, Huai Jiao

The sophora root, known in the old traditions as ku jin, is the dried root of one of the most elegant of the flowering trees of the East, and its long history in the herbal texts has made it a subject of continuing study. The sophora grows as a medium-sized, deciduous tree of the pea family, reaching up to twenty metres or more, with a rounded crown of the spreading branches bearing alternate, pinnate, bright-green leaves with the many oval leaflets and, in the high summer, long, drooping clusters of the small, creamy-white, pea-like flowers, followed by the long, narrow, jointed seed pods which hang among the leaves through the autumn. It is a species of the flowering tree, native to the warm regions of the East, while it has been planted in the gardens and the streets for its flowers and its shade, and it is known as the sophora or the Japanese pagoda tree.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The sophora root has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the botany and the plant systematics, since the sophora is a member of the pea family and a relative of the other leguminous trees, and the researchers have examined its classification, its relationships and its distribution across the East, while the study of the leguminous trees has drawn attention in the international botanical press. The root has also been studied in the chemistry and the natural-products science, since the sophora root contains a range of alkaloids and flavonoids, and the researchers have examined the root, its constituents and its composition, while the study of the sophora and its chemistry has been of continuing interest, and the plant is best appreciated as a subject of study and a tree of the garden rather than a casual remedy. The species has also been studied in the horticulture and the urban forestry, since the sophora is a popular street and garden tree for its shade and its flowers, and the researchers have examined its cultivation, its tolerance of the city conditions and its many forms, while the long, drooping clusters of the creamy-white flowers of the sophora have been of interest to the botanists and the gardeners. For a tree of such elegance, the sophora root has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

To grow the Sophora from seed, ecologically, the sophora is a generous tree of the warm gardens and the streets. Its long, drooping clusters of the creamy-white flowers feed the bees and the insects of the high summer, and its rounded crown gives a deep shade and a shelter to the small creatures, while its nitrogen-fixing roots enrich the soil of the garden and the street. Its economic value is real: the sophora is prized as a shade and a flowering tree for the warm garden and the street planting, and its value has drawn attention in the international horticultural press, while the root has a long history in the traditional materials of the East, and the tree is a fine addition to the garden and the park. To raise the sophora, sow the seeds in pots of moist, open compost in a bright, cool place, keep them gently watered, and grow the little trees on in the light.

sow the seeds in pots of moist, open compost in a bright, cool place, keep the young sophora gently watered, and grow the little trees on in the light.

Common name:Sophora flavescens “root” kosam kujin Radix Sophorae   Present Day Applications acute diarrhea due to infection inflammation of the intestine due to fungal infection trichomoniasis infection of the intestine chronic inflammation the rectum giardiasis infection pinworm infection eczema palpitation asthma hepatitis B inflammation of the aesophagus tonsillitis insomnia decrease of white cell count vagina infection scalding injuries