HORSE-CHESTNUT (so called probably from the large size of the nuts; less plausibly ex plained from the former use of them when ground as food for horses). .Esentits. A genus of trees of the natural order Sapindacete in which the leaves are large opposite digitate ; flowers with five spreading unequal petals, and the capsule leath er•, three-valved, and covered with soft spines. The seeds, of which there are from one to three in each fruit. are large and sionewhat resemble chestnuts; but the habit of the trt.-es, its leaves and flowers, are very unlike those of chestnuts, with which it has no botanical affinity. The common horse-chestnut (.,Eseulus Ilippocas faunal) is a much esteemed 1fritamenta1 tree, very frequently planted whenever the climate is suit able. on account of its rich foliage and its erect racemes of beautiful reddish-white flowers, which are produced on the extremities of the branches, and contrast. admirably with the dark green of the leaves. It is sup posed to he n native of Persia or some parts of the East, and was introduced into Western Europe from Constantinople at the end of the sixteenth century. It attains a great size, sometimes rising to the height of 100 feet, and extend ing its branches very widel y. Sofnetimes they droop almost to the ground. The leaves have long stalks, and five to seven obovate w-edge-shaped leaflets. The wood is soft, not very strong, nor very durable in the open air; hut is used for many ordinary purposes, and by carvers, turners, etc. The hark is hitter and astringent, contains n bitter principle called and has been used in tanning and dye ing. The seeds are unpleasantly bitter, and con tain so much of the saponaceous substance pe culiar to this natural order that when reduced to powder they may be used for washing. They
contain, however, a large quantity of starch, which may be extracted and freed from bitterness by means of an alkaline solution or repeated washing. This starch is prepared on a large scale and at a cheap rate in France. Horse chestnuts have long been employed in various countries as food for oxen, sheep, swine, and horses, all of which are fond of them, and grow fat upon them.
In the other species of :Esculus which are na tives of North America the foliage is very simi lar to that of the common horse-chestnut. Both the leaves and fruit of the American buckeye (-Esculus glabra) are poisonous. This tree ranges from Pennsylvania to Alabama, and west to Kansas and Texas. North America possesses a number of other species with very similar fo liage, smaller flowers, and smooth fruit. In Cali fornia the seeds of -Esculus California are used as food by some Indian tribes, as are those of ,Esculus turbinata in Japan. The seeds of .Eseulus parriflora, the edible buckeye, are eaten, either boiled or roasted. This species is a shrub with long and beautiful racemes of fragrant white flowers, which have projecting sta mens. It is a native of the Southern States. ,Esculus Indica is a lofty tree which grows at elevations of 8000 to 10,000 feet in the Him alayas, and produces seeds very similar to those of the horse-ehestnnt, which, although bitter, are eaten in time of scarcity.