CHAP. CV. 



CORYLA CE/E. CASTA^NEA, 



2003 



springs up spontaneously wherever the ground is not covered with water. 

 It was one of the earliest-imported American plants, having been intro- 

 duced by the Duchess of Beaufort in 1699. In British nurseries, this 

 species is propagated by inarching on the common chestnut, or by layers. 

 There are handsome small bushes of it in the Horticultural Society's 

 Garden, and at Messrs. Loddiges's ; and it is occasionally met with in col- 

 lections. Seeds are also sometimes imported. 



App. i. Species of Castdnea not yet introduced into European 



Gardens. 



Several species of chestnuts have been discovered in Nepal and Jara ; some of which were, at first, 

 su|>posed to belong to the genus ^uercus, but which have been separated from that genus, ami referred 

 to t'astiUiea, by Dr. Lindley; and others, which have been described and figured by Bkimc, in his 

 splendid work on the plants of Java. Dr. Lindley has given a synoptical list of the Indian CasUtnex; 

 in Dr. Wallich't, PI. As. Rat:, in which he enu- 

 merates eight different species, all of which we 

 shall shortly notice below. 



C. irnlica Rox. Hort Beng., p. 68 , Lindl. in 

 Wall. PI. As. Haw,, Royle lllusL, p. 341., is a 

 native of the mountains of Nepal and Silhet. 



C. Ro.tiiur^fiii Lind. t 1. c. ; yuercus castanicarpa 

 Rox. Hort. Beng., p. f>S., Hjurtig. Syst. f'cg., 3. 

 p. 856. ; is a native of Chittagong. 



C. sphcerocdrpa Lindl., 1. c. ; Qut'rcus armata 

 Rot. MSS. ; is a native of the mountains near 

 Silhet. 



C. tribvlotdes Lindl., 1. c., Royle Illust., p. 341 ; > 

 Quercus fribuloides Smith in Rets'sCycl., No. 13., 

 D. Don. in Prod. Nep., p. 56., Wall in Lilt. ; Q. 

 Catungea Ham. MSS. ; Q. ferox Rur. Hort. Beae., 

 p. 68. This species, according to Sir J. E. Smith, 

 was discovered by Dr. Buchanan (Hamilton) in 

 the forests of Upper Nepal, flowering and fruiting 

 at various seasons. Dr. Buchanan supposed it to 

 be an oak ; and he describes it as being a tree with 

 smooth branches, and leaves on short footstalks, 

 lanceolate, more or less ovate, entire, taper-pointed, 

 somewhat unequal at the base, about 4 in. long, 

 14 in. broad ; rigid, and rather coriaceous, with ir- 

 regular, distant, slightly curved veins; the upper 

 surface polished, and the under one paler, and opaque. The flowers are generally monoecious (though 

 Dr. Buchanan observed one tree with only female dowers), in slender, downy, clustered, axillary, or 

 terminal spikes ; the male spikes being most numerous. Stamens about S, with a dotted central disk. 

 The calyx of the fruit is armed with very numerous, rigid, prominent, sharp thorns, a fourth of an inch 

 or more in length, spreading in every direction. This 

 species is called Cattixn, or Cattumje, in the Parhatty 

 language ; Shingali, or Catu-Shingali, by the Nemours, 

 (See Rees's Cyct., art. Quercus.) Sir J. E. Smith adds 

 that Dr. Buchanan found the flowers " agree with 

 guercus; to which genus he referred this remarkable 

 plant ;" though the " strongly muricated calyx," which, 

 in some of his specimens, seemed to " split into 2 or 3 

 valves," approached " the nature of the chestnut." 

 It is now generally allowed to belong to the genus 

 Castiuiea. 



C. martabdnica Wall. PI. As. Rar., t. 107., and our 

 fig. 192.')., has the leaves lanceolate-oblong, acuminate, 

 quite entire, smooth, on short footstalks, acute at the 

 base, silvery beneath. Catkins downy, densely clothed 

 with palm.-ite branchy spines, divaricate. (Wall.) A. 

 native of Martaban, near Amherst Dr. Wallich "only 

 observed this fine large species of chestnut in the im- 

 mediate neighbourhood of Amherst. It was covered 

 with a profusion of fruit in the'month of February. 

 The seeds had an astringent taste. Professor Lindley 

 thinks that there is no difference between C. argi'ntea of 

 Dr.Blume's superb Flora Javce and my (Dr. Wallich V) 

 tree, except that the former is depicted with weak 

 spines ; a circumstance, no doubt.due to the fruit, wh ich 

 was described as having been unripe. I venture to 

 dissent from my highly respected friend. Dr. Blumc's 

 tree appears to me to differ in the following points : 

 Its leaves are more acuminate at the apex, and sharper 

 at the base; and their petioles longer. The fruit is 

 smaller, and its spines much shorter and less com- 

 pound. Besides, the locality seems to indicate a diver, 

 sity : the Java tree grows on mountains, whereas nn'iw? 

 occupies low ground, on the sea shore of .Martaban." 

 (Wall. PI. As. Rar., t. 107.)' 



Catlanfa argtntea Blume Fl. Jav., t 21., and ourj?- 1P .;, has Uie Ieaves oblong-lanceolate, much 

 acummatcd, narrowed towards the base, glabrous and s: ivery beneath. Catkins silkv A tall tree. 



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