652 . HIPPOCASTANE#. 
conical, curved, directed towards the hilum.—Trees and shrubs, 
with opposite, compound, palmate leaves, composed of 5 
or 7 feather-nerved leaflets, and terminal, rather panicled 
` racemes of flowers, with jointed pedicels. This order is much 
valued for the grandeur of the foliage and flowers of most of 
the species. Their bitter fruit has sometimes been used as a 
sternutary ; it contains a large quantity of potash, and abundance 
of starch. The bark is astringent and febrifugal. 
Synopsis of the Genera. 
1 #’scutus. Capsule echinated. 
2 Pavia. Capsule smooth. 
I. H’SCULUS (a name given by Pliny to a kind of oak, 
which had an eatable nut, derived from esca, nourishment). Lin. 
gen. no. 462. exclusive of some species. D. C. prod. 1. p. 597. 
—Hippocastanum, Tourn. inst. t. 612. 
Lin. syst. Heptdndria, Monogynia. Calyx campanulate. 
Petals 4-5, expanded, with an ovate border. Stamens with the 
filaments recurved inwardly. Capsules echinated. Leaflets ses- 
sile or almost sessile. ‘ 
1 Æ. Hirroca’stanum (Lin. spec. 488.) capsules echi- 
nated ; petals 5; stamens 7; leaflets 7, obovately-cuneated, acute, 
toothed. hk. H. Native of the north of India, Mill. ill. 
icon. Woody. med. bot. t. 128.—Plenck. icon. t. 293.—Riv. 
pentap. irr. t. 123.—H. vulgare, Geert. fruct. 2. t. 111. Petals 
white, and spotted with red and yellow. The common horse- 
chesnut is well known by the beautiful parabolic form in which 
it grows, and during the period of its flowering no tree pos- 
sesses greater beauty, for the extremity of each branch is ter- 
minated by a raceme of shewy, variegated flowers, so that every 
part of the tree seems clothed with them. This tree, if grown 
singly in parks or lawns, has a more sightly appearance than if 
grown in avenues. The timber, though of inferior quality, is 
. said to be used by the turner; however, its chief use is for fuel. - 
In Turkey the nuts are ground and mixed with the provender 
for their horses, especially those which are troubled with coughs 
or are broken-winded. It is said that deer, sheep, and swine 
will fatten on them, and poultry have been kept with them 
boiled. The bark of this tree has been given in Italy, not with- 
out success, in intermittent fevers; it has also been used with 
good success in dyeing several sorts of yellow colours. The 
horse-chesnut was brought originally from the northern parts of 
Asia into Europe about the year 1550, and was sent to Vienna 
about the year 1558; from Vienna it migrated into Italy and 
France; but it came to us from the Levant. Gerard in his 
herbal speaks of it only as a foreign tree. In Johnson’s edition 
of the same work it is said, ‘“horse-chesnut groweth in Italy, 
and in sundry places of the East countries ; it is now. growing 
with Mr. Tradescant at South Lambeth.” Parkinson says, 
“ our Christian world had first the knowledge of it from Con- 
stantinople.” The same author places the horce-chesnut in his 
orchard as a fruit-tree between the walnut and the mulberry. How 
little it was then (1629) known, may be inferred from his saying, 
not only that it is of greater and more pleasant aspect for the fair 
leaves, but also of as good use for the fruit, which is of a sweet 
. taste, roasted and eaten as the ordinary sort. He also describes 
and figures the corolla with 4 petals. The tree does not appear 
to have been common even in the beginning of 1700. 
I. Ascutus. 
II. Pavia. . l e 
Var. B, flòre-plèno ; flowers double. This variety is rather of 
rare occurrence. . 
Var. y, variegàta ; leaves variegated. 
Common Horse-chesnut. Fl. April, May. Clt. 1629. Tree 
40 to 60 feet. 
2 Æ. ca’RNEA (Lindl. bot. reg. 1056.) capsules echinated ; 
petals 5 ; stamens 7 ; flowers pubescent ; leaflets 5, oblong, acu- 
minated, serrated. h. H. Native of North America? This 
is one of the most beautiful of all hardy trees, resembling in 
general appearance the common horse-chesnut, but being small, 
and bearing a profusion of panicled racemes of rich flesh-coloured 
flowers, is more ornamental. 
Flesh-coloured-flowered Horse-chesnut. Fl. July. Clt. ? 
Tree 20 feet. 
3 Æ. rupicu’npa (Lois. herb. amat. t. 367.) capsules echi- 
nated; petals 4, with the claws of the petals shorter than the 
calyx; stamens 8; leaflets 5-7, obovately-cuneated, acute, un- 
equally serrated. h. H. Native of North America? Æ. cár- 
nea, Hort. Wats. dend. brit. t. 121. This tree is very orna- 
mental when in flower, the branches being terminated by racemes 
of fine scarlet flowers. 
Reddish-flowered Horse-chesnut. 
20 feet. 
4 JE. cLa`sra (Willd. enum. 405.) capsules echinated ; corolla 
of 4 spreading petals, with their claws about the length of the 
calyx; stamens longer than the corolla; leaflets 5, very smooth. 
h. H. Native of North America in the western counties of 
Pennsylvania and Virginia. Flowers greenish-yellow. 
Smooth Horse-chesnut. Fl. June. Clt. 1822. Tree 20 feet. 
5 Æ. Outox’nsis (Mich. arb. 3, p. 242.) capsules echinated ; 
corolla ? leaflets 5, smooth, oval, acuminated, irregularly toothed. 
h. H. Native of North America on the banks of the river 
Ohio. Flowers white, numerous, racemose. Fruit about half 
the size of those of the common horse-chesnut. 
Ohio Horse-chesnut. Fl. April, May. Clt.? Tree 30 feet. 
6 Æ. pa’tua (Willd. enum. 406.) capsules echinated ; 
corolla of 4 spreading petals, with their claws shorter than the 
calyx ; stamens twice as long as the corolla; leaflets 5. R- H. 
Native of North America in the forests of Kentucky. Flowers 
greenish-yellow or whitish. 
Pale Horse-chesnut. Fl. June. Clt.1812. Tree 40 feet. 
Cult. This is a genus of very shewy trees, well adapted for 
lawns or parks, having a beautiful effect when in flower. They 
will do well in any soil, but the deeper and more loamy the 
better. They may be either increased by layers put down 1n 
the spring, or by grafting or budding on the common horse- 
chesnut. Seeds of such species as can be procured should be 
sown singly in rows in spring, where they may remain until they 
are of sufficient size to be planted out permanently. 
Fl. June. Clt. 1820. Tree 
II. PA' VIA (in honour of Peter Paw, a Dutch botanist, one 
professor of botany at Leyden). Boerh. lugd. 6. t. 260. ’ 
prod. 1. p. 598. 
Lin. syst. Heptandria, Monogjnia. Calyx tubular. 
4, erect, narrow. Stamens straight. Capsules unarmed. 
palmate, with stalked leaflets. 
1 P. macrosta'cuya (Lois. herb. amat. t. 212.) capsules un- 
armed ; stamens much longer than the 4-petalled corolla; race 
very long; leaflets 5, downy beneath. h.H. Native of Nore 
America on the banks of rivers, particularly in Georgia near © ° 
Augustin. Æ/’sculus macrostachya, Michx. fl. bor. amer. h p: 
220. Jacq. eclog. 1. t. 9. Æ. parviflora, Walt. car. 128. P pin 
alba, Poir. dict. 5. p. 95. Pavia édulis, Poit. abr. fr. t. 88.- 
Coll. hort. rip. t. 19. A small shrub, with long racemes 
small, very ornamental, white flowers. Roots stoloniferous: 
The whole of the North American species of this genus, aS we 
Leaves 
Petals _ 
