HORSE-CHESTNUT FAMILY 
Calyx.—Tubular, gibbous, five-lobed ; lobes unequal, iubricate 
in bud ; disk annular, hypogynous. 
Corolla.—Petals four, pale yellow, hairy, clawed, imbricate in bud. 
Lateral pair oblong, superior pair oblong-spatulate, marked with red 
stripes. 
Stamens.—Seven, inserted on the disk, exserted ; filaments long, 
curved, downy ; anthers dark yellow, elliptical, introrse, two-celled ; 
cells opening longitudinally. 
Prstil—Ovary superior, one to three-celled, downy, echinate ; 
style long, slender; stigma pointed; ovules two in each cell. 
fruit.—Coriaceous capsule, three-celled and loculicidally three- 
valved, the cells by abortion one-seeded. Irregularly ovate, pale 
brown, one to two inches long, very prickly when young, smooth- 
ish at maturity. Seeds roundish, smooth, shining, chestnut-brown 
with large round pale scar or hilum. October. Cotyledons thick 
and fleshy, remaining underground in germination. 
One naturally expects to find the Buckeye in Ohio. It 
is called the Buckeye State, its inhabitants are called Buck- 
eyes, and yet, strange to say, the Buckeye is not widely nor 
very generally known to Ohioans. ‘The reason for this is to 
be sought in the character of the tree, for trees vary in so- 
cial habits; some are gregarious and live in communities, 
others prefer solitude. A moment’s reflection will show that 
this is true. A maple grove is of frequent occurrence, an 
oak forest is common enough, the beech alone often cov- 
ers vast areas of woodland, but one never hears of an elm 
forest ; an elm grove may be found, but even that is unusual. 
the elm occurs singly as do the willows and the sycamores. 
The Buckeye, also, is a solitary tree ; though widely distrib- 
uted itis nowhere abundant and is becoming less so froma 
delicf—well grounded it is said—on the part of farmers that 
its nuts are poisonous to their cattle, sheep, and horses. 
Consequently the trees have been very generally cut down 
and are now comparatively rare. 
Two questions naturally arise. Why was the fetid Horse- 
chestnut called the Buckeye, and how did it happen that this 
tree gave the soubriquet to the State of Ohio? ‘The local 
and picturesque name is undoubtedly a tribute of the imag- 
ination of the early settlers. We are all familar with the 
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