The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Sophora \So*pho"ra\, n. [Ar. ?ufair.] (Bot.)
   (a) A genus of leguminous plants.
   (b) A tree (Sophora Japonica) of Eastern Asia, resembling
       the common locust; occasionally planted in the United
       States.
       [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

Sophora japonica
    n 1: handsome roundheaded deciduous tree having compound dark
         green leaves and profuse panicles of fragrant creamy-white
         flowers; China and Japan [syn: Japanese pagoda tree,
         Chinese scholartree, Chinese scholar tree, Sophora
         japonica, Sophora sinensis]