Cinnamomum cassia and can easily be made into powder using a coffee or spice grinder, whereas cassia sticks are extremely hard and are usually made up of one thick layer. Cassia buds, although rare, are also occasionally used as a spice. They resemble cloves in appearance and have a mild, flowery cinnamon flavor. Cassia buds are primarily used in old-fashioned pickling recipes, marinades, and teas. Chinese cassia (called "ròu gùi"; 肉桂 in Chinese) is produced primarily in the southern provinces of Guangxi, Guangdong, and Yunnan. It is considered one of the 50 fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. Due to a blood-thinning
Cassia (genus) to prevent desertification. "Cassia" species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of many lepidopteran taxa. For example, the skipper "Astraptes fulgerator" and the pierids "Catopsilia pomona" and "C. pyranthe" are all seen on "Cassia fistula". The latter utilizes several other cassias, as well. The plant pathogenic viruses cassia yellow blotch bromovirus and cassia yellow spot potyvirus were first described from "Cassia". Because the name "Cassia" is not precise, it is sometimes difficult to know what is meant by references to plants known as "cassias". Cassia gum, for example, is made from "Senna obtusifolia", a species formerly included in