Chapter II 

 THE HORSECHESTNUT 



Family Hippocastanaceae 



THIS is a small family consisting of one 

 well-known cultivated species, — the 

 horsechestnut, — and four belonging 

 to the Western and Southern States, — the 

 various large and small buckeyes. 



The horsechestnut is so well known and its 

 winter characteristics so clearly marked that I 

 have chosen it first for description, although 

 no species of the family is found growing wild 

 in the Northeastern States. 



A large tree with a pyramidal 



Horsechest- / j '-n i j s jj ^ 

 j^y^. head. lite oar/e of old trees 



yEscidiis Hippocas- spHts off in Small square pieces, 

 and in young trees it is smooth. 

 Very coarse twigs and large brown b^ids cov- 

 ered with a gummy substance. Opposite leaf- 

 scars. 



The horsechestnut has little grace or beauty 

 of outline in winter. Its branches are stiff, 

 the twigs are coarse, ending bluntly with large 



IS 



