Sha Yuan Zi (Astragalus complanatus) is the flat-stem milkvetch, a sprawling perennial of the legume family, Fabaceae, native to northern China, where it grows on sandy riverbanks and grassy slopes in Shaanxi, Shanxi and Hebei. Its slender, flattened stems trail to about a meter with pinnate leaves of nine to twenty-five small oval leaflets and short racemes of pale yellow to purplish pea flowers. The inflated oblong pods hold small bean-shaped seeds, greenish-brown and smooth, about 2 mm long. We extract the dried seed.
Tincture or alcohol-free drops?
Both start from the same dried plant material and cold maceration. The tincture uses organic alcohol
as the solvent, keeps for years and is the classic herbal form. The alcohol-free drops (glycerite) use
vegetable glycerin and purified water, taste mildly sweet and suit anyone avoiding alcohol. The amount of
dried herb per serving is printed on each label.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your healthcare provider before using any herbal supplement.