✵The article documents the herb Cassia Twig, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavors, and botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Cinnamomum cassia Presl. and (2) Cinnamomum cassia BL.var.macrophyllum Chu.var.nov. It provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species; the characters of the herb Cassia Twig; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Ramulus Cinnamoni (Cassia Twig)
Pinyin Name: Guì Zhī
English Name: Cassia Twig
Latin Name: Ramulus Cinnamoni
Properties and Flavors: Warm; pungent and sweet.
Brief introduction: Ramulus Cinnamoni consists of the dried young twigs of Cinnamomum cassia Presl. It is used: (1) to induce sweating for releasing the muscles in wind-cold exterior syndromes; (2) to warm and unblock the meridians, thereby alleviating pain caused by cold and congealing blood; and (3) to promote menstrual flow in cases of amenorrhea due to cold stagnation. Common names include Ramulus Cinnamoni, Cassia Twig, and Guì Zhī.
Botanical Source: Cinnamomum cassia Presl., or Cinnamomum verum, C. zeylanicum, is an evergreen tree of the genus Cinnamomum, family Lauraceae (laurel family), order Laurales. The two commonly used botanical sources for this herb are: (1) Cinnamomum Cassia Presl. and (2) its variety Cinnamomum cassia Presl var.macrophyllum Chu—also known as Large-Leaf Cassia or Qinghua Large-Leaf Cassia. Both belong to the Lauraceae family and Cinnamomum genus.
(1) Cinnamomum cassia Presl.
Botanical Description: Cinnamomum cassia is an evergreen tree reaching 12–17 m in height. Its bark is grayish-brown and aromatic. Young branches (twigs) are slightly quadrangular and covered with yellowish-gray pubescence. Leaves are alternate or nearly opposite, coriaceous; petioles are stout (1.2–2 cm long) and densely covered with yellow pubescence; leaf blades are long-elliptic to nearly lanceolate (8–34 cm long × 4–9.5 cm wide), with an acuminate or tapering apex and a cuneate base; margins are recurved (curls inward); the upper surface is glossy green and glabrous, while the lower surface is light green and sparsely covered with yellow pubescence; basinerved ternate veins grow from the leaf base, the cross veins are small, nearly parallel; the lamina is coriaceous.
Panicles are axillary or subapical (8–16 cm long), covered with yellow pubescence; three flowers are arranged in a cymose pattern at each branch tip of the inflorescence. Flowers are hermaphroditic, white, about 4.5 mm long; pedicels are 3–6 mm long and bear yellowish-brown pubescence; the perianth tube is obconical, about 2 mm long; tapels (perianth lobes) are egg-shape or oval, about 2.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the tip is blunt or pointed; 9 stamens, and filaments are covered with pubescence, stamens in the first and second whorls are about 2.5 mm long; anthers are oval (egg-shaped), 4-loculed (tetralocular)—the two upper locules are smaller and dehisce inward toward the lobes, while the two lower locules dehisce outward; three staminodes are arrow-shaped, about 2 mm long including the stalk, which is pubescent; the ovary is ovoid, about 1.7 mm long, glabrous; the style is approximately equal in length to the ovary; the stigma is small and inconspicuous.
Fruits are elliptical, about 1 cm long, 8 mm wide, purple, and glabrous; the fruit receptacle is shallow cyathiform (cotyloid), 4 mm long, and the front end diameter reaches 7 mm and occasionally slightly rictal (slightly rimate). Flowering occurs from June to August; fruiting extends from October to December or February to March of the following year.
Growth Characteristics: Cinnamomum cassia grows naturally in evergreen broad-leaved forests but is predominantly cultivated. It thrives in tropical and subtropical regions with high temperature and humidity, is intolerant of cold, and is vulnerable to freeze damage below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter. It is a semi-shade species: young trees require shade, whereas mature trees need ample sunlight. It is sensitive to waterlogging; optimal cultivation sites feature deep soil layers, loose, acidic, well-drained soils. Gravelly or alkaline soils are unsuitable.
Characters of the Herb: The herb consists of long, cylindrical, branched twigs, 30–75 cm in length, with a diameter of 0.3–1 cm at the thicker end. The surface is reddish-brown to brown, bearing branch scars, leaf scars, bud scars, punctiform lenticels, longitudinal ridges, fine wrinkles, and small depressions. The texture is hard and brittle, breaking easily. Transverse slices are 2–4 mm thick; the cortex is reddish-brown, the xylem (wood part) is yellowish-white to light yellow-brown, and the pith is nearly square in outline. It has a distinctive aromatic odor, a sweet and slightly pungent taste, and the cortex imparts a rich, lingering flavor. Higher-grade medicinal material is young, slender, symmetrical, reddish-brown, and strongly aromatic.
Medicinal Efficacy: Releases the exterior by promoting sweating to expel wind-cold pathogens from the muscles and skin; warming and activating the meridians, assists Yang and activates Qi circulation. Indicated for wind-cold exterior syndrome; shoulder, back, and joint pain; obstruction of Qi in chest (thoracic obstruction); phlegm-damp retention; amenorrhea (menischesis), and abdominal masses.
Administration of Cassia Twig (Guì Zhī):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Cassia Twig (Gui Zhi)
TCM Books:
(1) Oral administration: 3–9 grams, typically as a water decoction.
(2) Water decoction, 0.5–2 qian (about 1.5–6 grams); may also be prepared as pills or powders. (3) Water decoction, 1.5–6 grams, higher doses (up to 15–30 grams) are occasionally used under professional guidance; finely powdered herb may be formulated into pills or powders.
Contraindications: cautiously used during pregnancy; contraindicated and should not be used in cases of yin deficiency with fire exuberance, excess heat in the interior, frenetic movement of blood due to heat, high fever of pyrexia.
Botanical Description: Cinnamomum cassia BL.var.macrophyllum Chu.var.nov is also known as Large-Leaf Cassia or Qinghua Large-Leaf Cassia, this variety belongs to the Lauraceae family and is a botanical variant of Cinnamomum cassia Presl. It is an evergreen tree reaching 12–17 m in height, with aromatic foliage throughout. The bark is grayish-brown; young branches are slightly quadrangular. Leaves are alternate, glossy, tender leaves are purple, and the back surface of mature leaf is dark green. Panicles are axillary or terminal; flowers are small and yellowish-green; fruits are ovoid berries—green when immature, turning black-purple at maturity. Flowering occurs from June to July; fruiting extends from February to March of the following year.
Key distinguishing features compared with Cinnamomum cassia Presl.: leaf blades are markedly larger, about 25–48 cm long, 8–13 cm wide; filaments are nearly glabrous.
Growth Characteristics: The tree prefers warm, humid climates and exhibits good cold tolerance—short-term exposure to −1 °C to −3 °C (30.2 °F to 26.6 °F) does not cause frost damage. Young trees thrive under partial shade; mature trees require full sun. Optimal cultivation sites feature deep soil layer, loose, well-drained, acidic soils—particularly red or yellow soils. Avoid shallow, infertile, drought-prone, or poorly drained clay soils.
Characters of the Herb: Morphologically similar to the twigs of Cinnamomum cassia Presl.
✵The article documents the herb Cassia Twig, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavors, and botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Cinnamomum cassia Presl. and (2) Cinnamomum cassia BL.var.macrophyllum Chu.var.nov. It provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species; the characters of the herb Cassia Twig; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Guì Zhī
Botanical Source: Cinnamomum cassia Presl., or Cinnamomum verum, C. zeylanicum, is an evergreen tree of the genus Cinnamomum, family Lauraceae (laurel family), order Laurales. The two commonly used botanical sources for this herb are: (1) Cinnamomum Cassia Presl. and (2) its variety Cinnamomum cassia Presl var.macrophyllum Chu—also known as Large-Leaf Cassia or Qinghua Large-Leaf Cassia. Both belong to the Lauraceae family and Cinnamomum genus.
Botanical Description: Cinnamomum cassia is an evergreen tree reaching 12–17 m in height. Its bark is grayish-brown and aromatic. Young branches (twigs) are slightly quadrangular and covered with yellowish-gray pubescence. Leaves are alternate or nearly opposite, coriaceous; petioles are stout (1.2–2 cm long) and densely covered with yellow pubescence; leaf blades are long-elliptic to nearly lanceolate (8–34 cm long × 4–9.5 cm wide), with an acuminate or tapering apex and a cuneate base; margins are recurved (curls inward); the upper surface is glossy green and glabrous, while the lower surface is light green and sparsely covered with yellow pubescence; basinerved ternate veins grow from the leaf base, the cross veins are small, nearly parallel; the lamina is coriaceous.
Growth Characteristics: Cinnamomum cassia grows naturally in evergreen broad-leaved forests but is predominantly cultivated. It thrives in tropical and subtropical regions with high temperature and humidity, is intolerant of cold, and is vulnerable to freeze damage below 0 °C (32 °F) in winter. It is a semi-shade species: young trees require shade, whereas mature trees need ample sunlight. It is sensitive to waterlogging; optimal cultivation sites feature deep soil layers, loose, acidic, well-drained soils. Gravelly or alkaline soils are unsuitable.
Characters of the Herb: The herb consists of long, cylindrical, branched twigs, 30–75 cm in length, with a diameter of 0.3–1 cm at the thicker end. The surface is reddish-brown to brown, bearing branch scars, leaf scars, bud scars, punctiform lenticels, longitudinal ridges, fine wrinkles, and small depressions. The texture is hard and brittle, breaking easily. Transverse slices are 2–4 mm thick; the cortex is reddish-brown, the xylem (wood part) is yellowish-white to light yellow-brown, and the pith is nearly square in outline. It has a distinctive aromatic odor, a sweet and slightly pungent taste, and the cortex imparts a rich, lingering flavor. Higher-grade medicinal material is young, slender, symmetrical, reddish-brown, and strongly aromatic.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Antipyretic effect; (2) Inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Typhoid bacillus (Salmonella typhi), dermatophytes, influenza virus, and orphan virus (e.g., echoviruses); (3) Sedative, analgesic, anticonvulsant, anti-tumor effects; (4) Antitussive (cough relieving), diuretic, cardiotonic, gastrotonic (strengthening the stomach), antimycobacterial (inhibit tubercle bacillus) effects.
Botanical Description: Cinnamomum cassia BL.var.macrophyllum Chu.var.nov is also known as Large-Leaf Cassia or Qinghua Large-Leaf Cassia, this variety belongs to the Lauraceae family and is a botanical variant of Cinnamomum cassia Presl. It is an evergreen tree reaching 12–17 m in height, with aromatic foliage throughout. The bark is grayish-brown; young branches are slightly quadrangular. Leaves are alternate, glossy, tender leaves are purple, and the back surface of mature leaf is dark green. Panicles are axillary or terminal; flowers are small and yellowish-green; fruits are ovoid berries—green when immature, turning black-purple at maturity. Flowering occurs from June to July; fruiting extends from February to March of the following year.
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