Handbook of Trees of the ISTortiieen' States and Canada. 343 



This is the hirgest and handsomest of the 

 native Buckeyes, attaining the lipiglit of 75 to 

 !KI ft., witli tvunl< '2-3 or iiiori' I'l. in diameter. 

 It does not equal the allied Horse-Chestnut in 

 beauty of tlower-cluster or size of leaves, but 

 is distinetlj' a handsome tree, especially a 

 purple-flowered variety which is known botan- 

 ically as var. liiihrida (do C.) Sarg. Tlie spe- 

 cies is called Sweet Buckeye not because the 

 nuts are sweet enough to he eaten by man. 

 but they are sweeter than those of the Fetid 

 Buckeye and arc eagerly eaten by cattle, swine, 

 etc. It is said that Hour made from the nuts 

 is excellent fnr ]iastc, which |)ms,csses an ad- 

 hesive jiower greater than that of ordinary 

 paste and is less liable to be eaten by insects. 



The wood is light, a cu. ft. uliiai absolutely 

 dry weighing -HiXA lbs., soft, tough, fiiu- 

 grained. easily worked and applied to the same 

 uses as is the wood of the T"(tid Buckeye. = 



f^cnvfs Willi iielioles 4-('. in. Inn^ and nsnally 

 5 (sometimes (i or 71 ol")\-a I i'-ol)lon,u- <ir elli|tlical 

 leaflets, cnucnii' al l)aso ilio lowcrnmst oliliiine, 

 acuminate, serrate, pul>escent al lirsl Inil llnaiiy 

 nearly glalu'ous and daric green alMoi', diillrr and 

 hairy tufted in tin"- axils limir'atli. f'Inir'is (Aiual- 

 May) 1^.2 in. lon^^ yellow, in loose puhcsconi 

 panicles .".-7 in. lon^- : petals +. nnoiinal, lou.i,'(a- 

 than the eal,\-x : slamens usually 7. sleu-ter ilom 

 the petals ; oyary puhescont. Fniit aliout 2 in. 

 loni,' smoolliish, willi pale l)rowu sc(-d ahoni 1 ' .j 

 in. Inn.i,'. 



Var. InihrUhi (de r.) S;n•^^ l\-ar. puypiira^trtnfi 

 Gray) has pinlc or pur|ilc (lowers and under sur- 

 face of the leallets, pdiolos, ric. pale pubescent. 



I. S'yn. .E.srii/K.-.' Jlava Ait. 



L'. .\. W.. XII. L.'7,S. 



