Common Name:

General Information

Gleditsia microphylla is a deciduous shrub or small tree usually growing 2 - 4 metres tall. The stems and branches are armed with long, needle-like spines 15 - 65mm long with few, short branches[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is harvested on a commercial basis for its seed, which is the source of a gum.
Gleditsia microphylla has a wide natural distribution range, occurring in northern and eastern China where it appears to be fairly common and at present there are no major known threats to this species. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - northern and eastern China (Anhui, ?Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi)

Habitat

Sunny uplands, hills and slopes, roadsides; at elevations from 100 - 1,300 metres[, ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Gleditsia microphylla is fairly cold-hardy, with older trees being able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°c when fully dormant. The tree has a habit though, especially when young, of producing new growth until quite late in the season. Especially in areas where the summers are not hot, this new growth will not ripen fully and will be liable to be cut back by the cold in the winter. Older plants tend to lose this habit. Generally, the plant should be considered to only be hardy to about -5°c when young, especially if growing in areas with cooler summers[].
Easily grown in a loamy soil, requiring a sunny position[]. Succeeds in most soils[] including sandy ones[]. Tolerates drought once established[] and atmospheric pollution[].
Trees have a light canopy, they come into leaf late in the spring and drop their leaves in early autumn[] making them an excellent top storey tree in a woodland garden.
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

A gum obtained from the seeds is used in the food industry[]

The reddish brown to deep brown, obliquely elliptic or obliquely oblong, flat, thin, seedspods are 3 - 6cm long and 1 - 2cm wide. They contain 1 - 3, bownish, compressed, ovoid or oblong seeds 7 - 10mm x 6 - 7mm[].

Medicinal

The plant is used for the treatment of various cancers and heart, vascular, and infectious diseases[].

The spines contain antimicrobial components, such as flavonoid glycosides, phenols, and amino acids. They have been used to cure swelling, suppuration, and other skin diseases[]

Agroforestry Uses:

When planted close together and severely pruned, most Gleditsia species form good windbreaks and hedges. With their usually very spiny trunks and branches, the hedge becomes an effective barrier, and with its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, it also enriches the soil[, ].

Other Uses

The endosperm of the seed is a rich source of galactomannans. These are neutral, water-soluble polysaccharides with a diverse structure and a wide range of physicochemical properties, resulting in their broad application as thickening, water holding, and stabilizing agents in food products (Brummer et al. 2003). Galactomannans are also essential hydrophilic materials with a variety of properties, such as being nontoxic, biodegradable, inexpensive,
and readily available[].
The galactomannan obtained from this plant has shown excellent behavior as a release-controlling agent in sustained release matrix tablets used for colonic drug delivery. It is also used currently for food, health care products, and cosmetic[].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in a greenhouse[]. The seed should have swollen up, in which case it can be sown, if it has not swollen then soak it for another 24 hours in warm water. If this does not work then file away some of the seed coat but be careful not to damage the embryo[]. Further soaking should then cause the seed to swell. One it has swollen, the seed should germinate within 2 - 4 weeks at 20°c. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual deep pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Give the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.