HORSE CHESTNUT 



Authorities. Wiesner (131), Lief. 6, p. 106. 



Easily confused with Quebracho, No. 212. 



Colour. Very deep, uniform nut-brown. Sap-wood ? 



Anatomical Characters. Transverse section : 



Pores. Need lens, size 3-4, medium, little variation : evenly 

 scattered : mostly single, a few compact groups of 3-4, rarely 

 6-8 : from 5-50 per sq. mm. : nearly all with red or yellow con- 

 tents : round : sparkling. 



Rays. Need lens, size 5, fine : uniform : equidistant, the 

 width of a pore or less apart : weak, almost straight, not avoid- 

 ing the pores : tapering both ends : lax and cellular, less dense 

 than the ground-tissue : brown or reddish : 6-8 per mm. 



Rings. Doubtful (see Soft-tissue below). Occasional zones 

 of wood poor in pores : contour regular. 



Soft-tissue. Numerous fine, continuous, concentric lines 

 resembling the ring-boundaries : with rather less space than 

 between the rays : sometimes 3-5 per mm., but often zones 

 where they are lacking : colour same as the rays. 



Pith. ? 



Radial Section. The pores are fine, dull, hoary lines with 

 occasional drops of resin. The rays are narrow, hoary, incon- 

 spicuous yet readily visible flakes. The rings are only faintly 

 indicated. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but the rays are fine lines 

 not traceable with the lens, and the loops are slightly indicated 

 by some difference in the depth of colour of adjoining zones. 



Type specimen from commercial sources, not authenticated 

 but reputed to be C. chloroxylon. The structure resembles that 

 of some Rhamnaceous woods. 



No. 44. HORSE CHESTNUT. ^Esculus hippo- 



castanum. Linn. 

 PLATE IV. FIG. 32. 



Natural Order. Sapindaceae. 



Synonyms. ^Esculus castanea, Gilib. M. memmingeri. 

 Hort. JE. procera, Salisb. 



Alternative Name. Marronier d'Inde in France (69). 



Sources of Supply. Europe, British Isles, North America. 



Usually confused with many other soft whitish woods. 



Physical Characters, etc. Weight 29^-39 Ib. per cu. ft. Hard- 

 ness Grade 7, soft : compare Deal or English Birch. Smell 

 (when fresh only) like rubbed potatoes (86). Taste none <>r 

 slightly insipid. Burns badly, maintains a flame with diffi- 

 culty, but the embers glow in still air. Solution with water or 

 alcohol colourless. 



51 



