Ku Shen (Long cylindrical shape with branches, brownish-yellow, thin and easily detached smooth skin)

Ku Shen Slice (Fibrous yellowish-white, radial texture cracks, ring-shaped growth rings)

【Naming】

Ku Shen

 【Source】

Classified as Medium Grade in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Classic of Herbal Medicine)

 【Common Usage Level】

C

 【Botanical Origin】

The root of Sophora flavescens Ait., a plant in the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family.

 【Characteristics】

The dried root is cylindrical, with the root end enlarged into an irregular shape with traces of stem base. It is 10-30 cm long and 1-2.4 cm in diameter. The surface has obvious longitudinal wrinkles and a very thin cork layer. It is hard and not easy to break.
Processed slices are oblique thin slices of varying shapes and sizes, hard in texture. The cut surface is light yellowish-white with ring-shaped growth rings and radial texture in the xylem. Sometimes ring patterns of growth rings are also visible. It has a pungent odor and an extremely bitter taste.

 【Identification】

The best quality is characterized by being neat, yellowish-white in color, and bitter in taste.

 【Category】

Root Category