462 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETIJM. 



PART III. 



de Buffbn, which gave an cxcelk-nt idea of their appearance in their native forests; the highest 

 these trees now remaining, estimated at upwards of 60 years of age, are 51ft. in height, wilh 

 heads 54ft. in diameter. At Toulon, in the Botanic Garden, a tree 20 voars planted, is 50 ft high. 

 In, Saxony, at Worlitz, a tree, 65 years planted, is 40 ft. high. In Austria, in Hold's Nursery, at - 

 Vienna, 20 yesrs planted, and 25 ft. high ; at Briick, on the Leytha, 48 years planted, and 80 ft. high, 

 with a head 48 ft. in diameter, close by water. In Prussia, at Sans Souci, 45 years planted, 24 ft. 

 high. In Bavaria, at Munich, 24 years planted, and 30 ft. high. In Hanover, in the Botanic Garden 

 at Gottingen, 20 years planted, and 40 ft. high. 



Commercial Statistics. In London, plants of the species are \s. each, of the 

 variety N.f. crlspum \s. 6d. each, and seeds of the species 4.s. a quart. At 

 Bollwyller, plants of the smallest size of the species are 50 cents each, and 

 larger plants 2 francs. At New York, plants are 25 cents each, and seeds 

 1 dollar a quart. 



A pp. i. Anticipated Species of Negundo. 



^ N. mexiccinmn Dec. is a native of Mexico, with trifoliate leaves, which grows to the height of 

 40 ft. It has been described under the name of A. tern&lum Moc. ; and also by De Candolle, who 

 expresses a doubt as to whether it may not be a variety of iV./raxinif blium. Seeds or plants of it 

 ought, if possible, to be obtained from Mexico. 



^ N. cochinchinense Dec. is a doubtful species, probably belonging to Sapindacea; rather than 

 Jcerace^. It is a tree 25 ft. high, in the woods of Cochin. China, and would form a very desirable ad- 

 dition to the British arboretum. A variety of N. /raxinifblium (the leaves having their two lower 

 and their terminate leaflets tcrnate) is mentioned by Dr. Hooker, as having been received by him 

 from Dr, Schwinitz in the state of dried specimens. {Fl. Bor. Amer., i. 114.) 



App. I. Other kceracecc. 



" DoMnea vulgaris Ilamilt. (altered from the Nepalese name), a shrub 6 ft. high, a native of Nepal, 

 with elliptical, oblong, acutely serrated leaves, is, in all probability, hardy, and would add to the 

 variety of British collections. There no other sjjecies of this genus, and no other genus belonging 

 to the order AceAcee^ has been yet discovered and recorded, either hardy or tender. 



CHAP. XXIII. 



OF THE HARDY TREES AND SHRUBS OF THE ORDER ^SCULA^CE^. 

 Identification. Lindl. Key. 



Syiionymes. Castaneacese im/t; Hippocastanece Dec. 



Disti7ictive Character. Calyx campanulate, 5-lobed. Ovary roundish, tri- 

 gonal. Seeds large and globose ; albumen wanting. Embryo curved, inverted, 

 with fleshy, thick, gibbous cotyledons not produced above ground in germin- 

 ation. Plumule large, 2-leaved. Deciduous trees, with opposite digitate leaves. 

 The fruit iai-ge and bitter, sternutatory, abounding in potash and starch. The 

 bark astringent and tonic; and the fruit containing sesculine, a febrifuge. 

 The genera are two, which are thus contradistinguished : — 



^'scuLus L. Capsule echinated. 

 PAV/yi Boeh. Capsule smooth. 



Genus L 



..'K'SCULUS L. The Horsechestnut. Lin. Syst. Heptandria Monogynia, 



Menti^ation. Lin. Gen., No. 462,; Hayne Dend., p.43, ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 597. ; Don's Mill., 1. 



Synonyrnes. i/ippoc4stanmn Towm. ; Marronier d'Inde, Fn; Rosskastanie, Gt;?-. 

 Derivaiion. The word .^i'sculus, derived from esca, nourishment, is applied by Pliny to a species of 

 oak. which had an eatable acorn. The word Hippocftstanum, from hippos, a horse, and eastanea , 



