Chapter II 



THE HORSECHESTNUT 



Family Hippocastanaceae 



THIS is a small family consisting of one 

 well-known cultivated species, the 

 horsechestnut, and four belonging 

 to the Western and Southern States, the 

 various large and small buckeyes. 



The horsechestnut is so well known and its 

 winter characteristics so clearly marked that I 

 have chosen it first for description, although 

 no species of the family is found growing wild 

 in the Northeastern States. 



A large tree with a pyramidal 

 nut " head. The bark of old trees 

 sEsadus hippocas- splits off in small square pieces, 

 and in young trees it is smooth. 

 Very coarse twigs and large brown buds cov- 

 ered with a gummy substance. Opposite leaf- 

 scars. 



The horsechestnut has little grace or beauty 

 of outline in winter. Its branches are stiff, 

 the twigs are coarse, ending bluntly with large 



*5 



