Broad bean root

Chinese Name: broad bean root

Class: root

[English name]: substratesophoraroot

[alias]:, small.

[source]: sophor, a legume asubprostrataChunetT.Chen My roots.

[harvesting]: dig roots in autumn, remove aboveground stems and leaves, and dry them in the sun.

[nature and taste]: the rhizome is irregular nodular, with stem base or stem scar at the top and several roots below. The root is long cylindrical, slightly curved, 10-35cm long, 0.3-1.5cm in diameter; the surface is brown to brownish black, with longitudinal wrinkles and transverse lenticels. It is hard, with light brown skin and yellowish white wood. Slightly beany, very bitter taste. It is cold in nature and bitter in taste.

[plant morphology]: shrub, 1-2m high. Pinnate compound leaves alternate, leaflets 11-17, ovate or oblong ovate, 1-2.5cm long, 0.5-1.5cm wide, apex a larger leaflet, sparsely pubescent above, densely gray brown pubescent below; petiole short, hairy. Raceme terminal and axillary, hairy; calyx broad bell shaped; corolla butterfly shaped, yellow white; stamen 10; ovary densely pilose, style curved, stigma tufted pilose. The pods are beaded. The flowering period is from May to June and the fruiting period is from July to August.

Growing place: in rock mountain or rock fracture. It is mainly produced in Guangxi.

[chemical constituents]: matrine, Oxymatrine, n-methylcytisine, Anagyrine, sophoranone, sophoranochromone, sophoradin, pterocarpine, maackiain, etc.

Indications: clearing fire, detoxifying, detumescence and relieving pain. It is used for sore throat and gums, lung heat, cough, thirst, jaundice and constipation.