Handbook of Teees of the Nobtjieen States and Canada. 341 



Tliis is a medium-size tree rarely attainin,<; 

 a greater lieiglit than 75 ft. or tliiclcness of 

 trunk than 2 ft. and often no more than half 

 that size. When isolated it develops a broad 

 rounded umbrageous top of many branches 

 and thick straight branchlets. It is confined 

 in its distribution to low moist regions and 

 the banks of streams, and is a tree of hand- 

 some aspect on account of us star shaped 

 clusters of leaHets, which in autumn turn yel- 

 low before falling. When leafless in winter the 

 distinctly keeled bud-scales with apiculate free 

 tips and rather smaller buds readily distin- 

 guish it from closely allied Yellow Buckye. 

 It is occasionally planted fo"- ornamental pur 

 poses though ill-favored on account of the ill- 

 smelling bark and foliage when bruised and is 

 not as ornamental as the introduced Horse- 

 Chestnut. 



Its light wood weighs when absolutely dry 

 28.31 lbs. per cubic foot, is soft, close-grained, 

 rather tough and easily worked. These quali- 

 ties make it in demand for the manufacture 

 of artificial limbs, splints and some kinds 

 of wooden-ware, and it is also used for paper- 

 pulp. i The nuts, "buckeyes," are often carried 

 in the pockets of superstitious people with the 

 belief that they will keep away the rheuma- 

 tism. 



Leaves with petioles 4-6 in. lona" and .'-7 oval 

 or oblong leattets .'^t-(i in. long cuneate and entire at 

 base, acuminate, tinely unequally serrate above, at 

 maturity glabrous on upper surface, pubescent on 

 the veins beneath and on the petioles. Floiccrfi 

 (.\pril-May) yellowish green, about % in. lonL'. 

 mostly unilateral in loose pubescent panicles r>-0 

 in. long : calyx campanulate : petals of nearly 

 equal length the claws about equally as long as the 

 calyx but the lateral pair broader: stamens loneer 

 than the petals, usually 7. with lonT curved tila- 

 ments ; ovary pubescent and armed with prickles. 

 Fruit irregularly obovate or subglobose. 1-2 in. 

 long, more or less roughened with prickles ; seec 

 1-1 i/i In. wide. 



1. Syn. ^sciiJus flava Ait. 



2. .\, \V., \l. 2.->:l. 



