652 



HIPPOCASTANEjE. I. JEscvLvs. II. PAVIA. 



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 JE'scviVS. Capsule echinated. 



2 PA'VIA. Capsule smooth. 



I. jE'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. Hept&ndria, 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 JE. HIPPOCA'STANUM (Lin. spec. 488.) capsules echi- ' 

 nated ; petals 5 ; stamens 7 ; leaflets 7, obovately-cuneated, acute, 

 toothed. Tj . H. Native of the north of India. Mill. ill. 

 icon. Woodv. med. bot. t. 128. Plenck. icon. t. 293. Riv. 

 pentap. irr. 1. 123. H. vulgare, Gsert. 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 horse-chesnut in his 

 orchard-as a fruit-tree between thentalnut and the mulberry. How 

 little it was then (1629) known, maybe 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. 



Far. P,flore-pleno ; flowers double. This variety is rather of 

 rare occurrence. 



Far. y, variegata ; leaves variegated. 



Common Horse-chesnut. Fl. April, May. Clt. 1629. Tree 

 40 to 60 feet. 



2 JE, CA'RNEA (Lindl. bot. reg. 1056.) capsules echinated ; 

 petals 5 ; stamens 7 ; flowers pubescent ; leaflets 5, oblong, acu- 

 minated, serrated. Tj . 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. 



jFfesA-coloured-flowered Horse-chesnut. Fl. July. Clt. ? 

 Tree 20 feet. 



3 JE. RUBICU'NDA (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. Tj . H. Native of North America? JE. car- 

 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-fiov/ered Horse-chesnut. Fl. June. Clt. 1820. Tree 

 20 feet. 



4 JE. GLA'BRA (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. 

 T? . 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 JE. OHIOE'NSIS (Mich. arb. 3. p. 242.) capsules echinated ; 

 corolla ? leaflets 5, smooth, oval, acuminated, irregularly toothed. 

 Jj . 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 JE. PA'LLIDA (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. T? . 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 in 

 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. 



II. PA' VI A (in honour of Peter Paw, a Dutch botanist, once 

 professor of botany at Leyden). Boerh. lugd. 6. t. 260. D. C. 

 prod. 1. p. 598. 



LIN. SYST. Heptdndria, Monogynia. Calyx tubular. Petals 

 4, erect, narrow. Stamens straight. Capsules unarmed. Leaves 

 palmate, with stalked leaflets. 



1 P. MACROSTA'CHYA (Lois. herb. amat. t. 212.) capsules un- 

 armed ; stamens much longer than the 4-petalled corolla ; racemes 

 very long ; leaflets 5, downy beneath. >; . H. Native of North 

 America on the banks of rivers, particularly in Georgia near St. 

 Augustin. jE'sculus macrostachya, Michx. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 

 220. Jacq. eclog. 1. t. 9. JE. parviflora, Walt. car. 128. Pavia 

 alba, Poir. diet. 5. p. 95. Pavia edulis, Poit. abr. fr. t. 88. 

 Coll. hort. rip. t. 19. A small shrub, with long racemes of 

 small, very ornamental, white flowers. Roots stoloniferous. 

 The whole of the North American species of this genus, as well 



