Native plants · Ohio

Native plants of Preble County

280 plant species are recorded as native to Ohio in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Preble County by USDA PLANTS. 137 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Preble County, Ohio

Native species
280 Typical Ohio county: 559 (median of 88 counties)
Garden-ready natives
137 Typical Ohio county: 241
Share by type (all 280 native species)
Percent of the 280 native species in each growth type
Tree 20% (55)
Shrub 2% (6)
Wildflower (forb) 53% (149)
Grass or grass-like 13% (37)
Vine 6% (17)
Fern 6% (16)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by trees (20%).

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

ZIP codes mainly in this county fall in USDA hardiness zone 6a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 137

Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.

Garden-ready native plants of Preble County, Ohio
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
American basswood Tilia americana Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
American beech Fagus grandifolia Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
American bellflower Campanulastrum americanum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12b
American bittersweet Celastrus scandens Vine 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American elm Ulmus americana Tree 120 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
American hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American plum Prunus americana Tree 24 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana Wildflower (forb) 7.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American sycamore Platanus occidentalis Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
American water horehound Lycopus americanus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis Tree 75 ft Sun Medium Zone 2b
black ash Fraxinus nigra Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black maple Acer nigrum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
black oak Quercus velutina Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
black raspberry Rubus occidentalis Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
black walnut Juglans nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4b
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Tree 95 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium Tree 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
bur-reed sedge Carex sparganioides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low —
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
butternut Juglans cinerea Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
butterweed Packera glabella Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 10b
Canada germander Teucrium canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Carolina rose Rosa carolina Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
climbing rose Rosa setigera Vine 16 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
common blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 2b
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
crested sedge Carex cristatella Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
cup plant Silphium perfoliatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 2b
deertongue Dichanthelium clandestinum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana Vine 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa Tree 20 ft Sun High Zone 4b
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
downy yellow violet Viola pubescens Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata Grass or grass-like 5.7 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Frank's sedge Carex frankii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
Gray's sedge Carex grayi Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens Grass or grass-like 5.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 2a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Tree 45 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
jewelweed Impatiens capensis Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
lanceleaf loosestrife Lysimachia lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
lanceleaf tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 6b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
limestone bittercress Cardamine douglassii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
meadow evening primrose Oenothera pilosella Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum Fern 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
northern red oak Quercus rubra Tree 81 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
northern spicebush Lindera benzoin Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra Tree 68 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
pawpaw Asimina triloba Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum Fern 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
red maple Acer rubrum Tree 68 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
shagbark hickory Carya ovata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
shallow sedge Carex lurida Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
Short's sedge Carex shortiana Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
silver maple Acer saccharinum Tree 90 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 2b
skunk cabbage Symplocarpus foetidus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
smooth phlox Phlox glaberrima Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
spring avens Geum vernum Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
sugar maple Acer saccharum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
sweetflag Acorus americanus Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia threeseed mercury Acalypha virginica Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
Virginia water horehound Lycopus virginicus Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Washington hawthorn Crataegus phaenopyrum Tree 30 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
white ash Fraxinus americana Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
whitegrass Leersia virginica Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 143

PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.

  • Adam and Eve Aplectrum hyemale
  • agueweed Gentianella quinquefolia
  • American columbo Frasera caroliniensis
  • American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
  • American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
  • American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
  • American senna Senna hebecarpa
  • balm-of-Gilead Populus ×jackii
  • beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
  • biennial beeblossom Oenothera gaura
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
  • bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
  • blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
  • carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
  • climbing milkvine Matelea obliqua
  • common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
  • dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
  • dotted hawthorn Crataegus punctata
  • dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
  • eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
  • eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
  • eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
  • fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
  • fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
  • field pansy Viola bicolor
  • field thistle Cirsium discolor
  • fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
  • fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
  • glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
  • great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
  • great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
  • great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
  • Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
  • green dragon Arisaema dracontium
  • hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
  • hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
  • hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
  • harbinger of spring Erigenia bulbosa
  • hoary verbena Verbena stricta
  • honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
  • Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
  • Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
  • largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
  • largeleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum macrophyllum
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
  • longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
  • lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
  • matricary grapefern Botrychium matricariifolium
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • mullein foxglove Dasistoma macrophylla
  • narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
  • pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
  • partridgeberry Mitchella repens
  • pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
  • Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
  • poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
  • poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
  • puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
  • purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
  • purplerocket Iodanthus pinnatifidus
  • ramp Allium tricoccum
  • richweed Collinsonia canadensis
  • roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • sand violet Viola affinis
  • scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
  • scarlet beebalm Monarda didyma
  • Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
  • shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • smooth carrionflower Smilax herbacea
  • smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
  • snow trillium Trillium nivale
  • soft fox sedge Carex conjuncta
  • spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • star chickweed Stellaria pubera
  • striped cream violet Viola striata
  • summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
  • tall rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes altissima
  • three-lobe violet Viola triloba
  • toadshade Trillium sessile
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
  • upright carrionflower Smilax ecirrhata
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
  • walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
  • waxyfruit hawthorn Crataegus pruinosa
  • white bear sedge Carex albursina
  • white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
  • white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
  • widowsfrill Silene stellata
  • wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
  • yellow avens Geum aleppicum
  • zigzag spiderwort Tradescantia subaspera
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

  • hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium

Compared with Ohio

The typical county is the median of the 88 Ohio counties with PLANTS county records; the statewide figure counts every species native anywhere in the state. More species is not better or worse: counties differ in size, habitat and how thoroughly they have been surveyed.

Native species counts, Preble County and Ohio
MeasurePreble CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 280 559 1,740
Garden-ready natives 137 241 594
Tree 55 — 160
Shrub 6 — 94
Wildflower (forb) 149 — 939
Grass or grass-like 37 — 400
Vine 17 — 62
Fern 16 — 85

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Preble County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

Source & data date

Source
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).
Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.
USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation
USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.
Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date
Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Zones
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
Scope
Preble County (county FIPS 39135), Ohio. 280 native species from PLANTS county distribution records; garden-ready = species with a PLANTS characteristics record.
Method
A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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