Witnessed by: TCM · Unani
Tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis), of the Tamaricaceae family. Graceful shrub or small tree with scale-like leaves and plumes of tiny pink flowers; native range: riverbanks and saline flats of northern China and Central Asia, spreading to the arid Near East. Globally recognized as cheng liu (檉柳) · xi he liu in Chinese, tarfa (طرفاء) in Arabic, gaz in Hindi, and Chinese tamarisk · salt cedar in English. The part used is tender young branches and leaves (TCM); bark, galls and manna (Unani). Slender jointed twigs, softly saline and faintly astringent, drying to a dusty grey-green.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
TAMARISK
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Tamarisk
- Scientific name
- Tamarix chinensis Lour.
- Family
- Tamaricaceae
Form
- Part used
- tender young branches and leaves (TCM); bark, galls and manna (Unani)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent · sweet
- Unani
- astringent
Temperature
- TCM
- neutral
- Unani
- hot & dry (2nd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Lung · Stomach · Heart
- Unani
- spleen · liver · stomach
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- releases the exterior, vents rashes, dispels wind and relieves itching
- Unani
- mufattih-e-sudad (deobstruent), qabiz (astringent), muhallil (resolvent); a celebrated remedy for the spleen
Cautions
- Contraindications
- measles rash already fully expressed; exterior deficiency with spontaneous sweating
- Toxicity
- large doses may cause dizziness and irritability; otherwise low toxicity
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