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苦參 Kushen
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Chinese Name |
苦參 |
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Chinese Pinyin |
Kushen |
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English Name |
Lightyellow Sophra Root |
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Latin Pharmaceutical Name |
Sophorae Flavescentis Radix |
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Category |
Roots and rhizomes |
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Origin |
The dried root of Sophora flavescens Ait.(Fabaceae) |
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Production Regions |
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hebei, Shanxi,etc. |
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Macroscopic Features |
Long cylindrical, lower portion often has branches, 10~30cm long, 1~2.5cm diameter. Externally brownish-yellow to grayish-brown, with longitudinal wrinkles and horizontal lenticels. Thin cortex, often breaks and rolls back, easily falls off, explores yellow inner skin. Hard texture, not easily broken, fractured surface is fibrous. Pieces are 3~6mm thick, cut surface is yellowish-white, with radial striations. faint odor; bitter taste. |
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Quality Requirements |
Superior medicinal material has even strip, yellowish-white fractured surface, very bitter taste. |
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Properties |
Bitter, cold |
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Functions |
Clears heat, dries dampness, dispels wind, kills worms. Apply to diarrhea due to damp heat, hematochezia due to intestine wind, jaundice, dysuria, edema, vaginal discharge, vaginal itch, abscess and tinea, lepra, skin itch, sore with damp toxin. |
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Processed Form |
Ku shen charcoal: Fry the cleaned ku shen with fast fire, till surface turned to burnt-black, inside is burnt-yellow, spray some clean water to cease fire spark, take out and cool. |
| Link |
 Medicinal Plant Images Database
Phytochemical Image Database
Chinese Medicinal Formula Images Database
Chinese Medicine Specimen Database
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Permanent URL：https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/cmed/mmid/detail.php?pid=B00018 |
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