Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig)
Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig) (Cylindrical, brownish-red, with branch, leaf, and bud scars)
Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig), Gui Jian (Cinnamon Twig Tip) (Hard and brittle with a hollow fracture, medulla square, strong aroma in the bark, pungent and spicy)
Above: Gui Jian (Cinnamon Twig Tip) Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig) (Bark deep brown, wood yellowish-brown, medulla loose). Below: Sang Ji Sheng (Taxillus chinensis) (Thin bark, brown wood, obvious rays, brown medulla)
【Naming】
【Source】
Ming Yi Bie Lu (Records of Famous Physicians), Superior Class
【Common Use Level】
A
【Botanical Origin】
The dried tender branches of Cinnamomum cassia Bl., belonging to the Lauraceae family.
【Characteristics】
The dried tender branches are cylindrical, with branching, 15-100 cm long and 0.3-1 cm in diameter. The outer surface is brownish-red or purplish-brown. The surface has branch scars, leaf scars, and bud scars, as well as longitudinal ridges, longitudinal lines, and transverse lines. Traces of broken branches, leaf scars, bud scars, and small dot-like lenticels are visible. The bark of thicker branches is transversely cracked in a ring shape, while the bark of thinner branches easily peels off, exposing the reddish-brown wood. The medulla is slightly square and has a peculiar fragrant aroma. The interior is yellowish-brown, hard and brittle, and easily broken. The fracture surface is uneven. It has a clear and fragrant aroma, a sweet and slightly spicy taste, with a stronger taste in the bark.
The processed slices are cut diagonally into flat, oval-shaped thin slices with varying thicknesses, generally about 1 mm thick. The diagonally cut surface of the bark is dark brown, with a visible circle of light-colored stone cell band. The bark is easily detached. The wood is yellowish-brown, and the central medulla is loose and darker in color.
【Identification】
《Distinguishing Good from Bad》: “Only those with a purple-black color, a spicy and sweet taste, and a high fragrance are considered good quality.”
The best quality are those that are young, brownish-red, and fragrant.
【Category】
Vines and Woody Plants