500 WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 
wiez in Act. Hort. Petrop. XI. 105 (1890). — Purdom in Gard. Chron. ser. 3, LXIV. 
346, fig. 150-152 (1912). 
Arbor ad 25-metralis; ramuli hornotini glabri v. initio minutissime puberuli, 
annotini flavescentes v. flavo-cinerei, lenticellis parvis instructi. Folia 5-7-folio- 
lata; foliola membranacea, oblongo-oblanceolata v. obovato-oblonga v. oblonga, 
subito acuminata, basi cuneata, inferiora obliqua, extus interdum fere rotundata, 
argute inaequaliter serrulata dentibus acutiusculis v. obtusiusculis, 9-16 cm. longa 
et 3-5.5 em. lata, laete viridia, supra glaberrima, subtus ad costam mediam 
praesertim in parti inferiore et saepe in parte inferiore nervorum pilosula, ceterum 
glaberrima, maturitate subtus et supra (in sicco saltum) leviter elevato-reticulata, 
costa media supra leviter, subtus manifeste elevata, nervis utrinsecus 13-17 subtus 
elevatis; petiolulus folioli medii circiter 1 cm., ei foliolorum exteriorum 2-3 mm. 
longi puberuli; petioli 6-12 mm. longi, minute puberuli. Panicula cylindrica cum 
pedunculo 5-8 em. longo fere glabro circiter 25 cm. longa; rhachis minute puberula; 
inflorescentiae partiales numerosissimae, graciliter pedunculatae pedunculo 1-1.5 
longo, 5-10-florae, minute puberulae; pedicelli 2-4 mm. longi; calyx anguste cam- 
panulatus, 4-5 mm. longus, extus minute puberulus, inaequaliter 5-lobatus, saepe 
irregulariter bilabiatus lobis obtusis brevibus minute ciliolatis; petala 4, circiter 
10 mm. longa, alba, minute ciliolata, extus puberula, intus glabra, superiora ob- 
lanceolata, 1.5 mm. lata, lateralia oblongo-obovata basi sensim in unguiculans 
attenuata, circiter 2.5 mm. lata; stamina plerumque 6, 20-30 mm. longa, filamentis 
filiformibus glabris, antheris oblongis fulvis 1.5 mm. longis; pistillum rudimenta- 
rium floris masculi clavatum calycem vix superans. Fructus globoso-obovoideus, 
apice truncatus plerumque leviter impressus, 3-4 cm. diam., pallide flavo-cinereus 
dense verruculosus, pariete exteriore valvarum 5-6 mm. crassa, in sicco; semina 
plerumque tantum 1-2 evoluta, subglobosa, 2-2.5 cm. diam., obscure castaneo- 
brunnea, sed hilo albido plus quam dimidiam partem seminis occupante. 
Chili: near Peking, western hills, growing in temple grounds, April 30, 1912, 
W. Purdom (No. 874; flowers not yet open); Peking, September 20, 1877, E. Bret- 
schneider (leaves); same locality, 1882, E. Bretschneider (fruits); without locality 
and without collector (ex Herb. St. Petersburg; flowers). Shensi: without local- 
ity, Piasezki (ex Maximowicz). 3 
This species has been often confused with A. turbinata Blume, which has entirely 
different leaves and flowers; the leaflets are sessile, obovate, larger, pubescent » 
the under surface or at least ferruginously pubescent on the midrib and vems 
while young; the flowers are similar in color and shape to those of A. Hippocas- 
tanum Linnaeus, but smaller (a good colored plate will be found in Shirasawa 
Icon. Ess. For. Jap. I. t. 71); the fruits are similar to those of A. hee 
but they are larger, about 4-5 cm. long, rounded and even slightly apiculate 
the apex, dark brown and densely dotted with rather large light yellowish brown 
warts, not uniformly pale yellowish brown as in A. chinensis: the walls are 35? 
3-4 mm. thick; the seeds which have the same large hilum differ in their 812% 
measuring 2.5-3.5 in diameter. tree 
Aesculus chinensis seems to occur in the neighborhood of Peking as & pe 
only and it is possible that like the Moutan it is a native of Shensi, where ! per 
collected it according to Maximosricz, and that it, like the Moutan, was carried 
ward with the spread of Chinese civilization. It is extremely rare in pr 
gardens; the only definite proof of its existence we have, are some fruits Co uli 
by Professor Sargent at the famous arboretum at Segrez in 1887, but the 
probably no longer exists, at least the writer did not notice it,as he through 
place in 1905. It has recently been reintroduced by the Arnold Arboretum 
its collector W. Purdom. 
