Identification & Quality Standard
Gleditsiae Spina
Botanical Origin
The dried thorns of Gleditsia sinensis Lam.(Fabaceae)
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Hubei, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is thin, clean, without core stem, brownish-purple, brownish-red in the center of slice, and soft pith.
Macroscopic Features
Whole thorn consists of a main thorn and 1~2 accessory thorns. Main thorn is 3~15cm or more, diameter is 0.3~1cm; accessory thorn is 1~6cm long, tip is sharp. Externally purplish-brown or brown. Light in weight, hard texture, hard to break. Slice is 0.1~0.3cm thick, often with sharp and thin tip; xylem is yellowish-white, pith is loose, pale reddish-brown; brittle texture, easily broken. faint odor, tasteless.
