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ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY CIRCULAR 51 



Fig. 66. — Hornbeam, 

 with its pointed leaves 

 (inset), is used occa- 

 sionally in ornamental 

 plantings. It is some- 

 times called blue beech 

 because its smooth, 

 gray bark resembles 

 the bark of beech. 



beam in Illinois. The hard, heavy, close-grained wood is strong 

 and is used to a limited extent in industry. 



Horse Chestnut 



Horse chestnut {Aesculus hippocastanum) is an introduced 

 tree which is grown for shade, ornamental, and specimen pur- 

 poses. It is a large tree (Fig. 67), growing to a height of 75 feet 

 with a branch spread of 30-40 feet. 



The large, compound, opposite leaves (Fig. 67 inset), dark 

 green above, paler beneath, and turning rusty-yellow in the fall, 

 have five to seven leaflets. Each abruptly pointed, irregularly 

 toothed leaflet is wedge shaped and wider toward the tip. The 

 large, 6- to 12-inch-high, showy, chandelier-like flower clusters 

 are white, tinged with red, and appear shortly after the leaves 

 unfold in the spring. They give rise to large, round, spiny fruits. 

 Each fruit contains one or two large, shiny, brown nuts. The 

 dark brown bark breaks up into slowly peeling, thin plates. The 

 red horse chestnut (A. x carnea) has pink flowers. Many horse 

 chestnuts in Illinois are attacked by a fungus disease called leaf 

 blotch. Large areas of affected leaves are killed by this fungus. 



