548 



KEW EXGLAXD TKEES IX WIXTER. 



HORSE-CHESTNUT 



Aesculus Hippocastanum L. 



HVniT — A g'ood sized tree reaching- 70 ft. in height with a trunk 

 diaiTK-ter uf 2-3 ft.; sometimes with trunk continuous into top of tree 

 but more frequently dividing- soon into a number of larg-e slightly 

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

 with droipping lower branches with upturned tips; spray stiff and cuarse 

 %vith L-t >nspiL-uuus terminal buds. 



BAHK — Dull brown becoming shallo"U'"ly fissured into irregular plate- 

 like Scales somewhat resembling bark of Apple Tree. 



TAA'IGS — Sti"iut, reddish-yelloT\'ish to grayish-bro'^-n. smooth or sligiitly 

 finf -ilmvn \'. SCALE -SCARS — marking annual gro"wth, distinct. LEN- 

 TICi-ZLS — large, conspicuous, scattered. PITH — wide. 



LF. VF-sr.VRS — Opposite. large, inverselv triangular. STIPULE- 

 SCARS — alisent. BUNDLE-SCARS — 3-9, generally 7, large, conspicuous. 

 in a single curved line. 



BVDS — Large, dark reddish-brown, varnished with sticky gum; 

 terminal buds often flowtr 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. 



FRt'IT — A weak-spined bur, containing the large seeds marked with 

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



COfPAUISOXS — Two western trees with buds free from resinous 

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

 ST\^eet Bucke^'e [Aesculus octandra JIarsh. ] are si"> me times 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. 



DTSTRTBl'TIO.V — A native of southern Asia much planted as an 

 ornanifntal shade tree in this country and in Eurupe and naturalized 

 in many places. 



AVOOD — Light, soft, very close-grained, whitish, slightly tinged with 

 yellow; in Europe used by carvers and turners. 



