Radix Sophorae seed

LATIN NAME: SOPHORA FLAVESCENS

COMMON NAME: Ku Shen

The ku shen brooms the upright, bushy perennial with the pinnate, grey-green leaves and the dense, upright clusters of the small, pea-like, yellow-white flowers that broom the stems through the summer, the slender, beaded pods following. It grows steadily into the rounded, leafy form, and it stands the drought and the poor soil well. It likes the sun, and the light, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The pea-like flowers of the ku shen give it a recognised place in the research on the steppe perennials of the pea family, and the flavescens species appears in the studies of the nitrogen-fixing roots and the traditional herb plants. The work looks at the way the deep roots broom the stems, the dry-slope habit, and the seed biology. The nitrogen-rich legume form wins the botanists over, and the growers of the wildflower and dry-garden plants keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the dry garden, the ku shen brooms the dry border with the yellow-white pea flowers. The blooms open through the summer, the roots enrich the soil, and the plant makes the fine wildflower and the meadow plant. It grows well in the light, well-drained, sunny ground. Pea-flowered, deep-rooted and drought-tough.

To grow the Ku Shen from seed, pour warm water over the seeds.

Pour warm water over the seeds, and give the young plants the open, sunny spot. The broom flowers come through the summer. , let them stand overnight, then sow them in gritty drills, keep the drills lightly watered, and the young plants get away steadily. The broom flowers will pea-white through the summer.

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations

The roots are dug in spring or autumn. After the fibrous roots have been removed, the roots are cleaned, cut into slices and dried in the sun.

Properties & Taste

Bitter and cold

Meridians

Heart, liver, stomach, large intestine and urinary bladder

Functions

1. To clear heat and dry dampness; 2. To promote urination; 3. To disperse wind and stop itching

Indications & Combinations

1. Damp-heat syndrome (a) damp-heat jaundice. Flavescent sophora root (Kushen) is used with Phellodendron bark (Huangbai), Capejasmine (Zhizi), Chinese gentian (Longdancao) and Oriental wormwood (Yinchenhao); (b) damp-heat diarrhea and dysentery. Flavescent sophora root (Kushen) is used with Costus root (Muxiang) and Licorice root (Gancao); (c) damp-heat leukorrhea and eczema of the genitals. Flavescent sophora root (Kushen) is used with Phellodendron bark (Huangbai), Cnidium fruit (Shechuangzi) and Chinese gentian (Longdancao). 2. Skin diseases, including itching of the skin, scabies and impetigo. Flavescent sophora root (Kushen) can be used internally and externally. The herb is combined with Chinese angelica root (Danggui), Dittany bark (Baixianpi), Broom cypress fruit (Difuzi) and Red peony (Chishao). 3. Painful urination caused by damp-heat. Flavescent sophora root (Kushen) is used with Dandelion herb (Pugongying) and Pyrrosia leaf (Shiwei).

Dosage

3-10 g

Cautions & Contraindications

This herb should never be used with the herb Black false bellebore (Lilu). It is contraindicated in cases with weakness and cold in the spleen and stomach.