124 ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM. 
Genus I. 
fvaeae 
AYSCULUS L. Tur Horsrcursrnur. Lin. Syst. Heptindria Monogynia. 
Identification. Lin. Gen., No. 462. ; Dec. Prod., 1. P 597. ; Don’s Mill, 1. p- 562. 
Synonymes. Hippocdstanum Tourn. ; Marronier d’Inde, Fr. ; Rosskastanie, Ger. . 
jerivation. The word Z’sculus, derived from esca, nourishment, is applied by Pliny to a species 
of oak, which had an eatable acorn. The word Hippoc4stanum, from hippos, a horse, and cas- 
tanea, a chestnut, is said by some to have been given to this tree ironically, the nuts, though they 
have the appearance of sweet chestnuts, being only fit for horses ; and by others, because it is said 
the nuts are used in Turkey, for curing horses of pulmonary diseases. 
Gen. Char. Calyx campanulate. Petals 4—5, expanded, with an ovate border. 
Stamens with the filaments recurved inwardly. Capsules echinated. Leaflets 
sessile, or almost sessile. (Don’s Mill.) — Deciduous trees, natives of Asia 
and North America. 
Leaves palmately divided, with stalked leaflets, generally rough. Capsule 
rough. Buds generally covered with resin.— Two species and several 
varieties are in British gardens. 
The common horsechestnut is invariably propagated by the nuts, which are 
sown when newly gathered, or in the following spring; and in either case they 
will come up the succeeding summer. All the other sorts, as being varieties 
of the species, are propagated by budding or grafting. Soil deep sandy loam. 
Only the first three sorts described below can be considered as true horse- 
chestnuts; the remainder, to which some other names might be added, we 
consider as hybrids between Z’sculus and some kind of Pavia, most pro- 
bably P. flava. 
¥ 1. 4. Hiepoca’stanum L. The common Horsechestnut. 
Identification. Lin. Sp., 488.; Dec. Prod.,1. p. 597.; and Don’s Mill., 1. p. 652. 
Hi vulgare Tourn. ; Marronier d’Inde, Fr. ; gemeine Rosskastanie, Ger.; 
Marrone ‘India, Ital. 
Engravings. Woodv. Med. Bot., t.128.; the plate of this species in the Arb. Brit., 1st edit., 
vol. v. ; and our jig. 166. 
Spec. Char., &c.* Leaflets 7, obovately cuneated, acute, and toothed. A large 
deciduous tree. Asia and North America. Height 50 ft. to 60ft. In- 
troduced in 1629. Flowers white, tinged with red; May. Fruit brown; 
ripe in October. Decaying leaves dark brown. Naked young wood 
brown. Buds long, large, greenish brown, covered with resin. 
Varieties. _ 
¥ HE. H. 2 flore pléno.—Recorded in nurserymen’s catalogues, but not 
common, 
* HH. H.3 atreo-variegdtum. — The leaves are blotched with yellow, but 
they have a ragged and unhealthy appearance, and are by no means 
ornamental. 
* HE. H. 4 argénteo-variegatum. — Leaves blotched with white. 
% FE. H. 5 inctsum Booth. 4. asplenifolia Hort. — Leaflets cut into 
shreds. 
Other Varieties. In Booth’s Catalogue are the names 42, H. erfspum, 
nigrum, pre'cox, striatum, tortudsum, &c., but none of these, nor any other 
variety which we have seen, is worth culture. 
A tree of the largest size, with an erect trunk, and a pyramidal head. The 
leaves are large, of a deep green colour, and singularly interesting and beau- 
tiful when they are first developed. When enfolded in the bud, they are 
covered with pubescence, which falls off as the leaves expand. The growth, 
both of the tree and of the leaves, is very rapid; both shoots and leaves 
being sometimes perfected in three weeks from the time of foliation. The 
wood weighs, when newly cut, 60 lb. 4.02. per cubic foot; and, when dry, 
35 lb. 7 0z.; losing, by drying, a sixteenth part of its bulk. It is soft, and 
