201 



SWEET BUCKEYE. 

 Aesculus octandra, Marshall. 



FORM The largest American species of the genus. Usually a small tree less than 60 ft. 

 in height with a diameter of 18 inches, but may reach a height of 110 ft. with a diameter 

 of over 3 feet. At its optimum in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Reported a 

 mere shrub in western Texas. 



BARK Light brown to grayish-brown, evidently-fissured, breaking up into manjy thin 

 irregular scales. See Fig. 58. 



TWIGS Stout, at first finely hairy, becoming smooth, reddish-brown to ashy-gray, slightly 

 ill-smelling when bruised. Pith large, light green, circular in outline. 



BUDS Opposite; terminal bud present and about 4/5-2 inches long; non-resinous, somewhat 

 blunt-pointed, covered by nearly triangular or ovate keeled scales. Outer bud-scales reddish- 

 brown, covered with a thin bluish bloom; inner bud-scales yellowish-green, enlarging in 

 spring to 1-2 inches. 



LEAVES Opposite, compound, with 5, sometimes 7, short-stalked or stalkless leaflets. 

 Leaflets oval to obovate, 4-10 inches long, finely toothed on margin, long-pointed at apex, narrowed 

 at base, dark green and smooth on upper surface when mature, yellowish-green and -somewhat 

 hairy on under surface. 



LEAF-SCARS Opposite, large, heart-shaped to inversely-triangular. Bundle-scars large, in 

 more than 3s, usually 3-9, often arranged in 3 groups. 



FLOWERS Appear about April or May when the leaves are developed. Small, yellow or 

 purplish, with 4 conniving petals; borne in finely hairy terminal panicles about 4-12 inches long. 

 Stamens are included in yellow corolla. 



FRUIT Matures about October. A smooth obovoid capsule, about 1-2 inches thick. Seeds 



several, large, smooth, reddi&h-brown, lustrous, 3-li inches broad, somewhat flattened. Valves 



of capsule thin, pale brown, not spiny or warty. The fruit is poisonous to stock, but seldom 

 proves fatal. 



WOOD Similar to that of the Fetid Buckeye, page 200, but it is somewhat lighter in 

 weight and has the wood elements in a tier-like arrangement. Used for lumber, veneer, 

 slack cooperage, paper-pulp, candy boxes, dishes, bowls, and artificial limbs. < 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The Sweet Buckeye, also known as Yellow Buck- 

 eye and Big Buckeye, is native only to the extreme western part of the State. The leaves are 

 opposite, digitately compound with usually 5 or sometimes 7 leaflets. The flowers are showy, 

 yellowish in color, an3 arranged in large panicles borne at the ends of branches. The 

 stamens are usually included in the corolla" while those of the Fetid Buckeye project beyond 

 it. The valves of the fruit-capsule are smooth. The twigs are stout, contain a large pith 

 and are roughened by largo conspicuous bundle-scars. The buds are large and non-resinous. 

 The twigs when bruised are less ill-smelling than those of the Fetid Buckeye. It is the 

 largest American species of the genus. 



RANGE Western Pennsylvania to Illinois, Iowa, and Oklahoma, south to Georgia and 

 Texas. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA Found only in the extreme western part of the 

 State. Reported from Allegheny county. 



HABITAT Usually grows in mixture with hardwoods in rich soil. Prefers rich bottom- 

 lands and valleys. Common along or near streams. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES This tree is of no commercial importance in Pennsylvania. 

 It is very limited in its distribution in the State. The wood which it produces and the 

 small size which it attains in the northern pa it of its range do not Justify its planting for 

 forestry purposes. It is, however, the largest American representative of the genus. It 

 grows rapidly and may be planted for ornamental purposes. 



