Flos Sophorae Japonicae

+ Product: Flos Styphnolobium japonici = Flos Sophorae japonicae, called Hoe Me
+ Scientific name: Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott = Sophora 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.

+ 2 kinds of products:
- Dried flowers: yellow, with a maximum length of about 10mm. Mild bitter taste, characteristic aroma. Often used to make flower tea or grind into a fine powder to make medicine
- Fresh flowers: blue, round flower buds. Commonly used to extract rutin in medicinal herbs

+ Phamarcological effects:
- Improve Hemorrhoids: compouds in this herbal tea, such as troxerutin, oxymatrine are all very good supplements for people with hemorrhoids to enhance their ability to reduce swelling and fight inflammation.
- Regulating Blood Pressure: The flower buds contains a large amout of Rutin (a type of vitamin P). This will reduce the resistance of capillary walls and support health by regulating blood pressure and prevent the occurrence of complications of high blood pressure.
- Help you sleep better: Flos Styphnolobium japonici improve sleep quality because this herb has cool, heat- clearing propertises and sedative ability

+ Some positive health benefits:
- Support weight loss
- Improve arthritis
- Improve heart health
- Reduce bleeding