Flos Sophorae japonicae

Product: Flos Styolobium japonici = Flos Sorae japonicae, called Hoe Me

Scientific name: Styolobium japonicum (L.) Schott = Sora japonica L., legume family (Fabaceae)

Describe:

- Tree: large, up to 15m tall, straight trunk with rounded leaf tips. Curved branches. Leaves compound, oddly feathery, with 9-13 leaflets ovate, apex, whole 3cm long, 1.5-2.5cm wide. Inflorescences spike at the tips of branches. Corolla butterfly-shaped ivory white. The pods are unopened, thick and constricted between the seeds.

- Medicine: Flower buds are ovate with small, short stalks, a slightly pointed end, 3 - 6 mm long, 1 - 2 mm wide, yellow-gray color. Calyx bell-shaped, yellow-gray, 1/2 to 2/3 of the length of the flower bud, split above into 5 shallow teeth. Unopened flowers are 4 - 10 mm long, 2 - 4 mm in diameter. Unopened petals are yellow. Fragrant, slightly bitter taste.