THE HORSE CHESTNUT. 



191 



increase in size until May, when the latter expand ; and 

 now, the tree having reached the meridian of its glory, 

 stands forth prominently in all the gorgeousness of leaf 

 and blossom. The downy covering which was observable 

 on the leaves in their early stage has now disappeared, 

 and they have assumed instead a rich, full green. Each 

 leaf is composed of seven broad leaflets, unequal in size, 

 which radiate from a common centre, a character of foliage 



FLOWER OF HORSK CHESTNUT. 



different from that of any other British tree. Its clusters 

 of irregular blossoms, snowy-white dashed with pink and 

 yellow, and affording thus early in the season a rich 

 banquet to the venturesome bee, proclaim that the flower- 

 bearing season now reigns paramount. 



This being the only common tree in Britain of large 

 size which bears conspicuous flowers^ it has received several 

 popular names derived from that fact, such as a gigantic 



