Pinyin: Liuzhi
Aliases
Yangliutiao, Liutiao.
Source
1. For pneumonia: Renshen 6 g, decoct in water and take orally.Salix babylonicaL. of the dried branches.
Botanical Description
A tree, up to 18 m tall. Crown spreading and loose. Bark gray-black, irregularly fissured; branches slender, pendulous, glabrous. Buds linear, apex acute. Leaves narrow-lanceolate, 9-16 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, apex long-acuminate, base cuneate, margin serrate; petiole 5-10 mm long, pubescent. Catkins appear before or simultaneously with leaves; male catkins 1.5-3 cm long, with short peduncle, rachis hairy; stamens 2, anthers reddish-yellow; bracts lanceolate, outer surface hairy; glands 2; female catkins up to 2-5 cm long, pedunculate, with 3-4 small leaflets at base, rachis hairy; ovary ellipsoid, sessile or subsessile, style short, stigma 2-4 deeply divided; bracts lanceolate, outer surface hairy; gland 1. Capsule 3-4 mm long. Flowering period March to April, fruiting period April to May.
Habitat and Distribution
Produced in most regions of the country.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest tender branches in spring, use fresh or dry in the sun.
Medicinal Properties
This product is cylindrical, 5-10 mm in diameter, with a surface that has slight longitudinal wrinkles and is yellow. Internodes are 0.5-5 cm long, with alternately arranged buds or residual triangular scars. The texture is brittle and easily broken, with an uneven fracture surface; the bark is thin and light brown, the xylem is wide and yellowish-white, and the center has a yellowish-white pith. Odor: faint; Taste: slightly bitter and astringent.
Chemical Constituents
Contains salicin and other constituents.
Pharmacology
Has local anesthetic effects.
Properties and Channel Entry
Bitter, cold. Enters the Stomach and Liver channels.
Functions and Indications
Expels Wind and eliminates Dampness, resolves toxicity and reduces swelling
Dosage and Administration
Oral: 15-30 g, decoct in water for oral administration. External: appropriate amount, decoct in water for gargling; or for fuming and washing.
Prescriptions
1. For turbid and painful urination with cloudy discharge: a handful of Liuzhi (Salix babylonica twigs) and Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix) 9 g. Decoct in water and drink. (From Zhouhou Fang) 2. For jaundice: three large sheng (approx. 600 g) of Liuzhi (Salix babylonica twigs). Add one dou (approx. 10 L) of water, boil down to a thick decoction, take half a sheng (approx. 50 ml) in one dose until finished. (From Waitai, citing Cuishi Fang) 3. For acute and chronic hepatitis: tender Liuzhi (Salix babylonica twigs) within 1 cun (approx. 3 cm) in length 60 g. Add 1000 ml of water, decoct to 200 ml, take 1 dose daily in 2 divided doses. (From Xinjiang Zhongcaoyao Danfang Yanfang Xuanbian)
