548 NEW ENGLAND TREES IN WINTER. 



HORSE-CHESTNUT 



Aesculus Hippocastanum L. 



HABIT A g-ood sized tree reaching- 70 ft. in height with a trunk 

 diameter of 2-3 ft.; sometimes with trunk continuous into top of tree 

 but more frequently dividing- soon into a number of large slightly 

 spreading limbs forming an oblong or broadly conical head, in old age 

 with drooping lower branches with upturned tips; spray stiff and coarse 

 with conspicuous terminal buds. 



BARK Dull brown becoming shallowly fissured into irregular plate- 

 like scales somewhat resembling bark of Apple Tree. 



TWIGS Stout, reddish-yellowish to grayish-brown, smooth or slightly 

 fine-downy. SCALE-SCARS marking annual growth, distinct. LEN- 

 TICELS large, conspicuous, scattered. PITH wide. 



LEAF-SCARS Opposite, large, inversely triangular. STIPULE- 

 SCARS absent. BUNDLE-SCARS 3-9, generally 7, large, conspicuous, 

 in a single curved line. 



BUDS Large, dark reddish-brown, varnished with sticky gum; 

 terminal buds often flower buds, larger than laterals, 1.5 to 3 cm. 

 long; when a flower bud, a terminal scar is left and the twig forks from 

 growth of bud pair below. BUD-SCALES opposite in 4 rows, about 

 5 pairs visible in terminal bud, thick with thin margins, the lower 

 pairs more or less keeled and often with abrupt sharp points. 



FRUIT A weak-spined bur, containing the large seeds marked with 

 a large conspicuous scar; not remaining on the tree during winter. 



COMPARISONSTwo western trees with buds free from resinous 

 coating i. e. the Fetid or Ohio Buckeye [Aesculus glabra Willd.] and the 

 Sweet Buckeye [Aesculus octandra Marsh.] are sometimes planted in 

 New England. They belong with the Horse-chestnut to the genus 

 Aesculus which Is readily distinguished from other New England genera 

 by the large size of the twigs, buds, opposite leaf-scars and bundle- 

 scars. 



DISTRIBUTION A native of southern Asia much planted as an 

 ornamental shade tree in this country and in Europe and naturalized 

 in many places. 



WOOD Light, soft, very close-grained, whitish, slightly tinged with 

 yellow; in Europe used by carvers and turners. 



