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Gleditsia heterophylla belongs to Fabaceae (the Pea family). It is a small evergreen tree that is native to central-eastern China. This tree grows on sunny slopes and roadsides, and can reach a height of 2-4 m. It has large sharp thorns on the trunk and branches. The thornes are not robust, long needlelike, 1.5-6.5 cm in length. The leaves pinnately or bipinnately compound, with 5-12 pairs of ovate to oblong leaflets. The greenish white flowers bloom in spikes or terminal panicles from June to July. The flowers are polygamous. The fruits are pods and reddish brown to deep brown, with slender beak at apex. In Chinese medicine, it is considered to be a fake of "Chinese honey locust" (Gleditsia sinensis)。
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