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HerbSophorae Flavescentis Radix

苦参

Kǔ Shēn

Sophora Root

The dried root of Sophora flavescens (Fabaceae). Cold and bitter, entering the Heart, Liver, Stomach, Large Intestine, and Bladder channels. Excels at clearing heat, drying dampness, killing parasites, and stopping itch. Taken internally for damp-heat dysentery and jaundice, applied externally for eczema, scabies, and fungal infections.

Actions · 功效

清热燥湿Clear heat and dry dampness
杀虫止痒Kill parasites and stop itching
利尿Promote urination

Indications · 主治

湿热泻痢，黄疸Damp-heat dysentery and jaundice
湿疮湿疹，皮肤瘙痒Damp sores, eczema, and pruritus
湿热带下Damp-heat vaginal discharge

Dosage · 用量

Per day · decoction · non-pregnant adult

5–10 g

Reference range for non-pregnant adults. Not a personalized prescription. Pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric use require specialist supervision.

Draft· 2026-04-16

Footnotes · 引用

[1]Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Husbandman's Materia Medica)
[2]Mingyi Bielu (Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians)

Permalink · CC BY-SA 4.0

Cite this entry

@misc{bencaodian-ku-shen,
  author       = {{Bencaodian Editorial}},
  title        = {Kǔ Shēn 苦参 (Sophora Root) — Sophorae Flavescentis Radix},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {Bencao Dian: A Bilingual Knowledge Graph of Traditional Chinese Medicine},
  url          = {https://bencaodian.org/en/herbs/ku-shen},
  urldate      = {2026-04-16},
  note         = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}

Permalink is fixed

@misc{bencaodian-ku-shen, author = {{Bencaodian Editorial}}, title = {Kǔ Shēn 苦参 (Sophora Root) — Sophorae Flavescentis Radix}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {Bencao Dian: A Bilingual Knowledge Graph of Traditional Chinese Medicine}, url = {https://bencaodian.org/en/herbs/ku-shen}, urldate = {2026-04-16}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }