桂枝古今名实考

通过考证认为,唐以前本草记载的‘桂枝”,为樟种植物肉桂(Cinnamomum cassia)的树干及粗枝之皮,并非现今使用的该植物的细小嫩枝。现在所用的“桂枝”,原名柳桂,始载于宋《本草别说》。

A Textual Investigation on Ancient Name of Cassia Twig

It has been found through a textual study that the Cassia Twig recorded in ancient herbals before the Tang Dynasty seems to be the bark of the trunk and branches of Cinnamomum cassia, not the twigs of the above species often used nowadays. Today's Cassia Twig was originally named Liugui (willowy Cassia) and first recorded in the ancient herbal Bencaobieshuo of the Song Dynasty.