Identification & Quality Standard
Sterculiae Lychnophorae Semen
Botanical Origin
The dried mature seed of Sterculia lychnophora Hance.(Sterculiaceae)
Production Regions
Primarily produced in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is large, firm, brown, with thin wrinkles and luster.
Macroscopic Features
Fusiform or oval shape, 2~3cm long, 1~1.5cm diameter. Apex is blunt round; base is slightly pointed and crooked, with pale round hilum, externally brown or dark brown, slightly lustrous, with irregular dry and shriveled wrinkles. Outer layer of seed coat is extremely thin, brittle, easily falls off. Middle seed coat is relatively thick, black-brown, loose and easily broken, enlarges into a sponge-like shape when soaked in water. Fractured surface presents scattered resin-like spots. Inner seed coat can be peeled off from the middle layer of seed coat, slightly leathery, 2 thick fat endosperms inside, wide-oval shape; 2 cotyledons, very thin, tightly adhere to inside of endosperm, equal size as endosperm. faint odor, mild taste, sticky when chewed.
