172 ^SCULUS 



Panicles erect, cylindrical, up to 12 or even 16 ins. long, and 4 or 5 ins. wide. 

 Flowers i in. long, white ; petals four, the upper and longer pair with a blotch of 

 yellow and red at the base, the shorter pair flushed with pale rose ; stamens 

 standing out f in. beyond the petals. Fruit rough, but not spiny, 2 to 3 ins. 

 long. 



Native of the N.W. Himalaya. One of the most magnificent of all 

 temperate trees, and equalling the common horse-chestnut in size and beauty, 

 it is remarkable that this species is so little known in English gardens and 

 parks. Judging by the young trees at Kew, which survived the winter of 

 1894-95 without injury, and the fine example at Barton in Suffolk, now about 

 70 ft. high, which has lived there since it was introduced by Colonel H. 

 Bunbury in 1851, the species is perfectly hardy. It is, no doubt, a lover of much 

 moisture and good treatment at the root. Lord Ducie informs me that at 

 Tortworth he tried some young trees in sunny positions, which lived but did 

 not thrive. He then shifted them to a shady valley, where they "grew like 

 willows." At Kew they stand in full sunshine, so their vigour is doubtless due 

 to good conditions at the root. Many seeds have been sent to Kew from 

 N. India, but scarcely any have germinated, owing to their rapid loss of vitality 

 if kept dry. They should.be packed in boxes of moderately moist soil. Good 

 seeds, however, have been produced at Kew, and plants raised from them. 

 This chestnut flowers in June and July, and is, therefore, at least one month 

 later than the common one a great point in its favour. 



JE. OCTANDRA, Marshall. SWEET BUCKEYE. 



OE. flava, Aiton.") 



A tree sometimes 90 ft. high in N. America, with dark brown bark and 

 non-resinous winter buds. Leaflets five or seven to each leaf, obovate or oval, 

 3 to 7 ins. long, I to 3 ins. wide, finely toothed, downy on the veins above and 

 much more so over the whole under-surface ; the down is frequently reddish 

 brown. Flowers in an erect panicle up to 7 ins. long, 2 to 3 ins. wide, yellow ; 

 petals four ; stamens shorter than and hidden by the petals. Fruit roundish 

 oblique, 2 to 2^ ins. long, smooth, carrying usually two seeds. It flowers in 

 May and June. 



Native of the S.E. United States ; introduced in 1764. It thrives very well 

 in the south of England, making a handsome round-headed tree. There are 

 several examples in the country 50 to 60 ft. high, and the largest, now nearly 

 70 ft. high, appears to be at Syon, Middlesex; still it is usually seen under 40 ft. 



Var. PURPURASCENS, A. Gray (var. hybrida, Sargent], has more downy 

 leaves and purple or red flowers, and is found wild in the Allegheny Mountains. 

 To it and its seedlings belong many of the numerous reddish or purplish 

 chestnuts found in gardens. It is perhaps a natural hybrid between AL. octandra 

 and AL. Pavia ; and as so often happens with hybrids, the seedlings raised from 

 it are very variable in colour, vigour, etc. Many of these have been raised 

 and distributed without their origin being put on record. Some are exceed- 

 ingly beautiful small trees, the flowers being of various shades of purple, red, 

 pink, and yellow. I have seen the following under the name and colour given, 

 but whether they all represent the forms as originally named is doubtful : 



AL. LYONI, yellow, suffused with pink. 



AL. MACROCARPA, red and yellow. 



AL. NEGLECTA, yellowish, veined with red, especially inside. 

 AL. PALLIDA BICOLOR, yellow, with faint pink veins. 



AL. ROSEA, deep rose. 



AL. SANGUINEA, scarlet. 



AL. VERSICOLOR, yellowish, shaded with red. 



AL. WHITLEYI, rosy outside, deeper red within. 



