Leaf-scars obovate or crescentic on slightly prominent cushions, with three groups of bundle-dots; opposite scars joined by a linear ridge. Terminal buds long oval or fusiform, pointed; scales numerous, the upper rounded, the lower pointed at the apex and keeled on the back, minutely ciliate in margin. Pith wide, circular, green.
9. Æsculus austrina, Small, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, 1901, xxviii. 359; Sargent, Man. Trees N. America, 647 (1905); Æsculus Pavia, β discolor, Torrey and Gray, Fl. N. Amer. i, 252 (1838), in part. A small tree, attaining 30 feet in height, occurring in Tennessee, S. Missouri, E. Texas, and north-western Alabama. This resembles the last species. The leaflets, however, are usually more irregularly but finely serrate, and pale tomentose beneath. Panicles pubescent, 6 to 8 inches long. Petals bright red, meeting at the tips, unequal, oblong-obovate, rounded at the apex, glandular, those of the upper pair about half as wide as those of the lateral pair, with claws much longer than the calyx. Stamens longer than the petals. Fruit brown, slightly pitted. Not introduced.
III. Macrothyrsus. Buds not viscid. Calyx five-toothed. Petals four to five, white, claws longer than the calyx. Stamens exserted, very long.
10. Æsculus parviflora, Walter, Flora Caroliniana, 128 (1788). South-eastern North America. A shrub. Leaflets five to seven, elliptical or oblong-ovate, densely grey-tomentose beneath, finely serrate. Panicles erect, 8 to 10 inches long, slender, narrow. Flowers white, faintly tinged with pink. The long and threadlike stamens are pinkish white and very conspicuous.
This is a valuable shrub, as it flowers late, in July or August, some five or six weeks later than any of the other species except californica. Occasionally it forms a short single trunk, but generally it sends up a crowd of stems from the ground. It is figured in Gard. Chron. 1877, viii. fig. 129; and is often known in gardens as Pavia macrostachya, Loiseleur, or Æsculus macrostachya, Michaux. See Bot. Mag. t. 2118 (1820), where it is stated that the species was introduced by Mr. John Fraser in 1785. Canon Ellacombe reported in 1877[1] that he had at Bitton a specimen, which was at least forty years old, but that it remained a bush, not exceeding 8 or 10 feet in height.
IV. Calothyrsus. Buds viscid. Calyx two-lipped or five-lobed. Petals four, pink or white, claws not longer than the calyx. Stamens exserted.
11. Æsculus californica, Nuttall. California.
12. Æsculus Parryi, A. Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. xvii. 200 (1881); Sargent, Garden and Forest, 1890, p. 356, fig. 47. Lower California. A small shrub, resembling the preceding species; but differing in the five-lobed calyx, and in the leaflets, which are small, obovate and hoary pubescent beneath. It has not been introduced.
V. Hybrids. The most important is Æsculus carnea, Hayne, which is a cross between the common horse-chestnut and A. Pavia. This is described fully below.
- ↑ Gard. Chron. 1877, viii. 691.
