Handbook of Trees of the North kkn Sj 



AND Canada. 343 



This is the largest and handsomest of the 

 native Buckeyes, attaining tlie height of 75 to 

 110 ft., with trunk 2-3 or more ft. in diameter. 

 It does not equal the allied Horse-Chestnut in 

 beauty of flower-cluster or size of leaves, but 

 is distinctly a handsome tree, especially a 

 purple-flowered variety which is known botan- 

 ically as var. hi/hrida (do C.) Sarg. Tlie spe- 

 cies is culled Sweet Huckeye not because the 

 nuts arc sweet enough to be eaten by man, 

 but tlicy are sweeter than those of the Fetid 

 Buckeye and are eagerly eaten by cattle, swine 

 etc. It is said that flour made from the nuts 

 is excellent for paste, wliicli jiossicsses an ad- 

 hesive power greater tlian that of ordinary 

 paste and is less liible to be eaten by insects. 



The wood is liglit, a cu. ft. when absolutely 

 dry weigliing 20.04 lbs., soft, tough, line- 

 grained, easily worked and apjilied to the same 

 uses as is the wood of the Fetid Buckeye. 2 



Lcavvs with petioles 4-0 in. long and usually 

 5 (sometimes G or 7) obovate-oblong or elliptical 

 leaflets, cuaeate at base the lowermost oblique, 

 acuminate, serrate, pubescent at first but finally 

 nearly glabrous and dark green above, duller and 

 hairy tufted in the axils beneath. Flowers (April- 

 May) IV2 in. long, yellow, in loose pubescent 

 panicles 5-7 in. long ; petals 4, unequal, longer 

 than the calyx : stamens usually 7, shorter than 

 the petals : ovary pubescent. Fruit about 2 in. 

 long smoothish. with pale brown seed about lij 

 in. long. 



Var. luihridn (de r.) S.nrg. (var. purpurascrns 

 Gray) has pink or piii-pl(> (lowers and under sur- 

 face of the leaflets, petioles, etc. pale pubescent. 



1. Syn. .ilsctilus fiava Ait. 



2. A. W., XII, 278. 



