184 CHINESE ECONOMIC TREES 



The pods of Gleditsia sinensis, G. macracantha and G. japonica are 

 used as a substitute for soap. A medicine is made from the immature 

 pods of G. officinalis. 



Individuals or forms of Gleditsia are found which are almost or 

 wholly free from spines. 



Gleditsia sinensis Lamarck. 



Tree 13 m. tall. Leaves rarely bipinnate. Spines terete. Leaflets 

 8-18, ovate-oblong, yellowish above, dull green below. Flowers on 

 pubescent racemes; ovary glabrous. Pod straight, walls thick, woody. 

 10-22 cm. long. 



Central China. 



Allied to G. macracantha, but the leaves and spines are smaller. 



Gleditsia delavayi Franchet. 



Spines compressed at the base. Leaflets 12-18, ovate, oblique, dark 

 green, glabrous. Pods with leathery walls, 30-45 cm. long, twisted. 



S. W. China: Yunnan. 



Gleditsia japonica Miquel. 



Tree 20 m. tall. Branchlets purplish with compressed, branched 

 spines, and 16-20 leaflets; bipinnate leaves with 8-12 pinnae. Leaflets 

 ovate-lanceolate, obtuse. Pods flattened, leathery, 20-30 cm. long, 

 brown, twisted. 



Japan, Korea, Manchuria and China. 



SOPHOPvA 



Deciduous or evergreen trees, shrubs and perennial herbs. Leaves 

 alternate, odd pinnate with deciduous, entire stipules. Leaflets entire, 

 mostly opposite, numerous and small or few and large. Flowers in 

 racemes or terminal panicles, papilionaceous, white, yellow, violet or 

 pink; calyx campanulate, slightly 5 toothed; standard broadly ovate or 

 orbicular; wings oblong, oblique; keel petals oblong, as long as or longer 

 than the wings, barely connate; stamens 10, slightly connate at the 

 base; ovary subsessile, with curved style and rounded stigma; ovules 

 indefinite. Legume or pod moniliform (necklace like), the seeds 



