Aesculus
sylvatica Bartram
Common
names: painted buckeye.
Synonyms: Aesculus georgiana Sargent, Aesculus neglecta
Lindley, Aesculus octandra Marshall, Aesculus sylvatica
Bartram var. lanceolata (Sargent) Bartram.
Family: Sapindaceae.
Brief
description:
A small, deciduous tree or shrub, commonly 1–5 m (3–16 ft.) tall.
Bark of mature trunks is flaky. Winter buds are large, with terminal
buds ranging from about 0.5–1 cm long or longer. Leaves are opposite
and palmately compound, with 5 (occasionally 7), relatively large
(8–20 cm long) leaflets. Leaflet margins are variously serrate. Flowers
are borne on a prominent, terminal inflorescence. Flowers bear 4,
long (1–3.7 cm.), cream, yellowish green or pink colored petals that
form a tube-shaped corolla. Fruits consist of a 2–4 cm long, more
or less spherical, tan or brown, leathery capsule. The capsule splits
open revealing 1–3 (occasionally as many as 6) large, smooth, lustrous,
dark brown seeds, each with a conspicuous light brown scar. Painted
buckeye is one of the first trees in Piedmont forests to produce leaves
and flowers in spring.
USDA
Profile
Herbarium
sheet images:
Live
specimen images:
Individual
leaf Branchlet
with buds Close-up
of buds Flowers
Close-up
of flower