Aesculus indica

Indian horse chestnut (Aesculus indica)

The Indian horse chestnut (Aesculus indica) is a deciduous tree species from the genus of horse chestnut (Aesculus ) in the family of Soapberry ( Sapindaceae ).

Description

The Indian buckeye is a deciduous tree that can reach heights of growth of up to 30 meters; outside its natural range of this tree is much smaller and barely reaches 20 meters Height. The gray bark of the trunk comes off in long strips. The long -stalked (10 to 15 cm), palmate leaves are seven parts ( sometimes five or nine pieces ). The person sitting at about 1 cm short stalks leaflets are up to 20 cm long; they are narrowly obovate to lanceolate, glabrous on both sides and finely serrated edge. The fresh shoots is usually dyed red for some time.

The Rispige inflorescence is about 20 to 30 inches long and appear from June to July. The hermaphrodite flowers are four to fünfzählig. The five sepals are fused together into an approximately 5 mm long tube. The four white to pink, partly yellowish petals are unequal in shape. There are seven free, 2 to 2.5 mm long stamens present. Three carpels are fused into an ovary.

There arise round, slightly elongated teardrop-shaped down to the stalk, dreiklappige, about 4 to 6 cm long capsule fruits that are rough, but not thorny. The medium-sized brown, shiny seeds contained therein ripen in early October.

Distribution and location

The Indian horse chestnut originates from Asia, where it occurs naturally at higher altitudes of about 1,500 to 3,000 meters in the north-western Himalayas. Its distribution area extends across eastern Afghanistan, northern India, Nepal, and northern Pakistan.

Outside of its natural range it is occasionally planted in botanical gardens, parks and gardens as an ornamental tree. In Central Europe it is hardy enough only in areas with mild winters or in sheltered places; However, in the British Isles and southern Europe it thrives in the open state.

Variety

From the Indian horse chestnut, there are the variety A. indica ' Sydney Pearce ', which remains small and their flowers are more whitish yellow and less pink than the type.

System

The basionym is indica Pavia Wall. ex Cambess. ; todays valid first described by the British botanist William Jackson Hooker was published in 1859. The current entry in IPNI is, however, Aesculus indica Coleb. ex Wall ..