XLIV. 



-^SCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM. 



Horse-Chestnut. 



Class YII. . Heptandria. — 0>T/e;- I. Monogynia. 



Kat. Ord. HlPPOCASTANE^. 



Gen. Char. Calyx monophyllous, five-toothed, inflated. 

 Petals four or five, unequal, pubescent, inserted into the 

 calyx. Capsule three-celled, echinate. 



Spec. Char. Leaves digitate, of seven obovate, acumi- 

 nate leaflets. Petals five, spreading. 



SYNOXYMES. 



Latin 



Castanea folio multifido. Bauh. Pin. 419- 



Castanea Equina. Ger. Em. 1442. Rait Hist. 1683. 



Hippocastanum. Clus. Hist. p. 1. 



.Escidus Hippocastanum. Lin. Sp. PI. 488. 



French . Marronier d'lude. 



Italian .... Castagno d'India ; Marrone. 



Spanish . . . Castano de caballo. 



Porluffiiese.. Ippocastano. 



German . ■ . A^'ilde Kastanie ; Rosskastanie. 



Dutch .... Paardenkastanie. 



Danish .... Hestekastanier. 



Polish .... Kasztan owdzikich . 



Swedish ... Hoestkastanie. 



Description. — The common horse-chestnut is a stately tree, 

 risino- to the height of forty or fifty feet ; sending off numerous 

 spreading branches, covered witli a rough brown bark. The 

 wood is rapidly formed, and is white and soft, but soon decays. 

 The leaves are digitate, composed of seven large, obovate, acu- 

 minate, serrate leaflets, of a light-green colour, and proceed 



