THE HORSECHESTNUT 



counted sixty-eight flowers on one of these 

 undeveloped spikes in the bud, and with a 

 microscope he discovered the pollen of the 

 stamens. 



The horsechestnut came originally from 

 Southeastern Europe and was introduced into 

 gardens about the middle of the sixteenth 

 century. Its wood has no commercial value. 

 The generic name, &sculus, comes from esca, 

 food, the ancient name of an oak with edible 

 acorns ; it was probably given to this tree on 

 account of its large chestnut-like fruit. Hippo- 

 castanum, from hippos, a horse, castanea, a 

 chestnut, alludes to the fruit which is made 

 into horse medicine in Turkey. 



The Ohio buckeye (sEsculus glabra) is a 

 shrub or low tree found west of the Allegha- 

 nies. Its terminal bud is frequently lacking, 

 and the two upper lateral buds grow large and 

 take its place. Its buds and stems resemble 

 those of the horsechestnut, but the two species 

 would never be confused. 



