Traditionally used for
- Cough & breathing
- Colds & fever
- Digestion
- Urinary & fluids
- Pain & joints
- Skin
☯ TCM Properties
Induces sweating and vents rashes
Traditional Chinese Uses
Xi He Liu (Cacumen Tamaricis), the tender twigs and leaves of Chinese tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis), is an acrid, sweet, warm herb that releases the Exterior, entering the Lung, Stomach and Heart channels. Its signature use is to induce sweating and vent rashes: it out-thrusts measles that are slow or incomplete to erupt, promoting a full, even eruption, and is combined with venting herbs such as Niu Bang Zi, Chan Tui and Bo He.
By dispersing Wind and opening the surface it also relieves Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold colds with fever, and eases Wind-Damp joint pain and itchy Wind-rash skin conditions (used internally and as an external wash). Because it disperses and promotes sweating, Xi He Liu is contraindicated once measles have fully erupted, and in those who are weak with profuse spontaneous sweating; overuse can excessively drain the exterior.
Western Herbalism Properties
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Tamarix chinensis Lour. (Tamaricaceae), Chinese tamarisk or salt cedar, is a deciduous shrub or small tree 3-7 m tall with slender, drooping, reddish-brown branchlets that give a feathery appearance. The leaves are minute, scale-like, lanceolate, sessile, and overlapping along the twigs, 1-3 mm long, glaucous green. Flowers are produced in slender racemes 3-6 cm long, often gathered into large terminal panicles, each flower small (about 2 mm) with five pale pink petals, five sepals, and five stamens. The fruit is a small three-valved capsule containing minute hairy-tufted seeds. Native to eastern and central China, the plant tolerates saline and alkaline soils and is often planted along riverbanks and coasts. The young twigs and leaves, collected in spring or summer, are used in TCM to vent rashes (particularly incompletely expressed measles), dispel wind, and relieve dampness.
Active Constituents
Flavonol-substituted polysaccharides
Polysaccharide-flavonoid conjugatesThe most distinctive chemistry so far reported for this species: polysaccharides carrying covalently attached flavonol substituents, structurally characterised from Tamarix chinensis and shown to inhibit the complement system in vitro and to reduce influenza A virus-induced acute lung injury in mice. This is the only constituent class of the drug with a defined mechanism attached.
Kaempferol
FlavonolOne of nine compounds isolated and identified from Tamarix chinensis in a dedicated phytochemical study of the species. Flavonoids, phenolic acids and tannins are the main phytochemical classes across the genus.
4'-Methylkaempferol
Methylated flavonolA methylated kaempferol derivative isolated from Tamarix chinensis; the pattern of O-methylation is characteristic of the genus.
4',7-Dimethylkaempferol
Methylated flavonolA second methylated kaempferol reported from Tamarix chinensis alongside kaempferol and its 4'-monomethyl ether.
Ferulic acid
Hydroxycinnamic acidA phenolic acid isolated from Tamarix chinensis, consistent with the phenolic-acid-rich profile described for the genus.
Matairesinol
Dibenzylbutyrolactone lignanReported from Tamarix chinensis. Its presence is worth noting only because it is also a lignan of Arctium lappa, so lignan detection alone does not confirm the identity of either drug.
Hexacosyl-3-caffeate
Long-chain alkyl caffeate esterA long-chain caffeic acid ester isolated from Tamarix chinensis; no pharmacological characterisation of this compound in the species has been published.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Immunosuppressants and complement-directed therapy (eculizumab, ciclosporin, corticosteroids)
Flavonol-substituted polysaccharides from Tamarix chinensis inhibit complement activation in vitro and reduce complement-driven lung injury in H1N1-infected mice. No human pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic data exist for this species in any context, so this is a mechanistic caution and nothing stronger.
Clinical note: There is no clinical evidence to act on. Note the mechanism if a patient on complement-directed or immunosuppressive therapy is taking this herb, and do not present it as having any established immune effect in humans.
Cheng Liu (the same drug under its plant name)
Xi He Liu and Cheng Liu are two names for the identical drug: the young twigs and leaves of Tamarix chinensis Lour. (Cacumen Tamaricis). Cheng Liu is the plant name and Xi He Liu the pharmacy name. Because this corpus holds them as separate records, a prescription drawing on both entries would double the intended dose of one herb.
Clinical note: Treat Xi He Liu and Cheng Liu as one herb. Do not add them together when totalling a formula.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 3–6 g | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 monograph 【西河柳】【用法与用量】3～6g。外用适量，煎汤擦洗。 【性味与归经】甘、辛，平。归心、肺、胃经。 — Matched to ChP by romanised drug name (pinyin 'Xi He Liu' → 西河柳); the romanisation is unique across all 649 ChP monographs, and the match was cross-checked against this record's own TCM temperature. Quoted verbatim. |
Evidence Tier
Moderate evidence · 3 studiesRecorded studies by study design, strongest design at the top. This is a study-design tier only, not a GRADE rating: it does not weigh risk of bias, consistency or precision.
Systematic review / meta-analysis
0
Randomized controlled trial
0
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
3
1 verified · 2 unverified
Show 3 studies
- Flavonoid substituted polysaccharides from Tamarix chinensis Lour. alleviate H1N1-induced acute lung injury via inhibiting complement system
- Two Natural Flavonoid Substituted Polysaccharides from Tamarix chinensis: Structural Characterization and Anticomplement Activities
- Anti-Complement, Anti-Oxidative, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Ethanol Extract of Tamarix chinensis Lour.
Other / unclassified
0
Verified: design read from PubMed for a DOI that resolves to the cited paper Unverified: taken from the study's recorded description
Clinical Studies
Flavonoid substituted polysaccharides from Tamarix chinensis Lour. alleviate H1N1-induced acute lung injury via inhibiting complement system
Flavonoid-substituted polysaccharides from Tamarix chinensis reduced influenza A virus-induced acute lung injury in mice, with the effect attributed to inhibition of excessive complement activation and consequent reduction of inflammation. The species used is Tamarix chinensis specifically, not another Tamarix.
Two Natural Flavonoid Substituted Polysaccharides from Tamarix chinensis: Structural Characterization and Anticomplement Activities
Structural characterisation of two polysaccharides bearing flavonoid substituents isolated from Tamarix chinensis, with anticomplement activity demonstrated in vitro. This is the chemistry underlying the later animal work on acute lung injury.
Anti-Complement, Anti-Oxidative, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Ethanol Extract of Tamarix chinensis Lour.
An ethanol extract of Tamarix chinensis showed anticomplement, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, consistent with the traditional use of the twigs and leaves for inflammatory disorders. Extract-level in vitro work only, with no human data.
⚠ Safety & Contraindications
Contraindications
It is not suitable for patients with eruptions, which have been let out, and if overdose, vexation, and vomiting are easy to occur.
Source: Xi S, Gong Y. Essentials of Chinese Materia Medica and Medical Formulas. Academic Press/Elsevier, 2017, pp. 15–23.
Historical Texts
Kai Bao Ben Cao
Song dynasty, 973 CEReferences
- Li F, Xie W, Ding X, Xu K, Fu X. Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of the genus Tamarix: a comprehensive review . Archives of Pharmacal Research (2024) [DOI]
- Zhao L, Peng XJ, Xia PF, Duan WD. [Chemical constituents of Tamarix chinensis] . Zhong Yao Cai (Journal of Chinese Medicinal Materials) (2014)
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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