168 ^SCULUS 



at Kew, and thrives admirably there. The tree is very distinct on account of its 

 habit, and its abundant foliage with a rather metallic hue. It flowers from 

 June to August, and often shows the curious habit of developing a single flower 

 at the top of the panicle first, which has formed a small fruit whilst the flowers 

 immediately below it are still in bud. Introduced by W. Lobb about 1850, it 

 first flowered in Messrs Veitch's Exeter nursery in 1858. Mr Elwes mentions 

 a tree 30 ft. high, at Hutley Towers, near Ryde. It also flowers well and 

 bears fruit, in the Victoria Park at Bath. 



JE. CARNEA, Hayne. RED HORSE-CHESTNUT. 



(yE. rubicunda, LoiseleurC) 



A tree of rounded form, 30 to 50 ft. high in this country, but 60 to 80 ft. high 

 on the Continent ; winter buds slightly resinous. Leaves composed of five or 

 seven leaflets, which are very like those of the common horse-chestnut, but 

 smaller, darker green, and usually with a very short stalk. Flowers deep red 

 on a panicle 6 to 8 ins. high, 4 ins. diameter ; stamens slightly protruding. 

 Fruit globose, slightly prickly, i^- ins. diameter. 



Of the origin of this tree nothing certain is known. There is little doubt, 

 however, that it is a hybrid between the common horse-chestnut and M. Pavia, 

 having the habit and foliage of the former, with the colour of the flowers and 

 glandular-edged petals of the latter. It probably originated as a chance 

 hybrid made by insects quite early in the nineteenth century, and had attained 

 a considerable size before its distinctness was noticed. In regard to its 

 flowers, it is the most ornamental of the genus. Some half a dozen plants 

 were raised from seed at Kew, about 1896, which are now 20 ft. high, and have 

 flowered for several years past. They do not differ in any respect from 

 ordinary AL. carnea, or from each other, except in the depth of colour in the 

 flowers. This is rather unusual in the progeny of a hybrid. The trunk of this 

 tree frequently becomes diseased when over i ft. in diameter, and covered with 

 ugly eruptions which ultimately decay and disintegrate into a sort of powder. 

 According to Mr Massee, there is no parasitic organism, animal or fungoid, 

 present to cause this disease, which appears to be solely due to the abnormal 

 development and ultimate rupture and death of the cells. 



Var. BRIOTII. Raised from seed at Trianon in 1858 ; is practically identical 

 with the type, except that it has larger and more finely coloured panicles. 

 Several named varieties are in cultivation besides Briotii, but none so good. 

 One with yellow-margined leaves is called AUREO-MARGINATA ; another, 

 FOLIIS MARGINATIS, is a variegated form with a dark green border to the leaf 

 then an irregular band of yellow, the centre being pale green. Var. PENDULA 

 is described as having pendulous branches a character common in some 

 degree to most old trees. 



JE. CHINENSIS, Btmge. CHINESE HORSE-CHESTNUT. 



A tree 80 to 90 ft. high; young shoots smooth or minutely downy; winter 

 buds resinous. Leaves composed of sometimes five, usually seven, leaflets, which 

 are narrow-oblong or obovate, 5 to 8 ins. long, about one-third as much wide, 

 tapering to a fine point, shallowly and evenly toothed, the stalk \ to in. long. 

 Panicle 8 to 14 ins. long, and 2 to 4 ins. wide at the base, narrowing gradually 

 to the top, the basal one-fifth naked. Flowers on smooth stalks, white, \ to 

 | in. across ; petals four ; stamens rather longer than the petals. Fruit 

 truncate or slightly indented at the top, sub-globose, 2 ins. in diameter, rough, 

 but not spiny. 



Native of N. China, and although known to botanists for over seventy 

 years was only introduced in 1912. It was collected near Pekin by Purdom, 



