6. JESCULUS HlPPOCASTANUM HORSE CHESTNUT. 4? 



6. ^ESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM, L. 



HOUSE CHESTNUT. 

 Ger., Roszlcastanie; Fr., Marronier (T Inde; Spi, Castarlo de caballo. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves digitately compound, with seven obovate or some- 

 what wedge-shaped, serrate leaflets. Flowers (May, June) in very showy pyramidal 

 racemes; petals five, spreading, white or with a pink flush, spotted with purple and 

 yellow; stamens declined. There are double-flowered, variegated and other varieties 

 with more or less lobed or cut-leaves. 



(Hippocastanum is from Gk. zWoS, horse, and udGrcLvov, chestnut. The name 

 is applied to the tree from the fact that in some parts of Europe its fruit is employed 

 in veterinary medicine.) 



A very common and handsome shade-tree, usually of medium size, 

 though sometimes attaining the dimensions of 80 ft. (24 m.) in height, 

 and 4 ft. (1.22 m.) in thickness of trunk at base. While in blossom, 

 this is one of our most showy trees, with its numerous pyramids of 

 handsome flowers contrasting boldly with the dark green and copious 

 foliage. 



HABITAT. As this is an introduced tree, no particular habitat in 

 this country could be given. It grows well and quite rapidly wherever 

 planted in the United States, especially in the Middle and Southern 

 States. The climate here in Northern New York seems a little too rigor- 

 ous for it. Its native country is supposed to be Asia, whence it 

 has been extensively introduced into Europe and thence into the United 

 States, where it is now abundant in parks and along streets as an orna- 

 mental shade tree. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood light, soft and very close-grained, 

 whitish, slightly tinted with yellow. 



USES. In this country this timber could hardly be said to be put to 

 any particular use at present as it is not in the market, and, with our 

 numerous native timbers, we scarcely feel the need of it. In Europe it 

 is of value in the hands of carvers and turners, which we would naturally 

 infer from its soft, fine and close-grained nature. The bark, which is 

 bitter and astringent, has been used for tanning and dyeing, and an 

 extract of the wood is said to be used in dying silk black. The kernels 

 of the. nuts possess a saponaceous substance in such abundance that, 

 when powdered, they may be used for washing. The abundance of 

 starch which they contain is pleasant to the taste and nutritive, after 

 counteracting the bitter principle by means of an alkaline solution. 

 They also make very good food for cattle, sheep, swine and horses. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. "The bark has been used as a substitute 

 for cinchona bark as an antiperiodic for use in intermittent fevers etc. 

 Dose half an ounce in twenty-four hours given in the form of a decoc- 



