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SWEET BUCKEYE. 

 Aesculus octandra, Marshall. 



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

 In height with a diameter of IS inches, but nmy 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. 



BABK — Light brown to grayish-brown, evidently-fissured, breaking up into many thin 

 Irregular scales. See Fig. 68. 



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. 



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

 Mnnt-pciin;ed. covered by uenrly triang-.ilar or ovate keeled scales. Outer Mid-sc.iles reddish- 

 brown, covered with a thin bluish bloom; inacr bud-scales yellowish-green, enlarging In 

 spring to 1-2 inches. 



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



I^eaflets oval to obovate, d-lO inches long, finely toothed on margin, long-pointed at apex, narrowed 

 at l<;ise. dark green and smctoth on uppc-r surface when mature, yello«-ish-green and somewhat 

 hairy on under surface. 



LEAF-SCABS— Opposite, Ip.rge, heart-shaped to inversely-triangular. Bundle-scars large, in 

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



FLOWERS — Ai.pear about April or May when the leaves are developed. Sin;in. yellow or 

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

 Siamens are included in yellow corolla. 



FRUIT— Matures about' Oitcher. A smooth obovoid capsule, about 1-2 inches thick. Seeds 



several, large, smooth, reddish brown, lustrous. 3-15 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, digltately compound with nsuaUy 5 or sometimes 7 leaflets. The flowers are showy, 

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

 stamens are usually includca In the corolla while those of the Fetid Buckeye project beyond 

 it. The valves of the fru:tcaptule are smooth. The twigs are stout, contain a large pith 

 and are roughened by large ccnspicuous l.uudle-scars. The buds are large and non-reslnons. 

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

 largest American species of the genus. 



HANGE 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 froin 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 Uie State. The wood which it produces and the 

 small size which it attains in the northern pait of its range do not Justify its plantmg for 

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

 grows rapidly and may be planted for ornamental purposes. 



