f 886 ]
F A G U S Caftanea.
Ghefnut-tree.
MONOECIA Po'yandria.
G en. Char. Male, Cal. bell-Ihaped, 5-cleft. Cor.
none. Stam. 5 to ia .
Female, Cal. 4-cleft. Cor. none. Styles a or 3,
three-cleft. Seeds 2 or 3, invefted with the leathery
prickly calyx.
Spec. Char. Leaves lanceolate, tharply ferrated,
fmooth beneath. Prickles o f the fruit compound
and entangled.
Syn. Fagus Caftanea. Linn. Sp. PI. 1416. Iludf. 422.
With. 443. Hull. 213. Abbot, a 11.
Caftanea. Rail Syn. 440.
T h e Chefnut is the moft (lately of all our native trees,
for it is certainly a native of the fouth and weftern parts of
this ifland ; it appears to be alfo the moft long-lived ; for a
chefnut, known to have been a boundary tree in the time of
King John, ftill continues to bear fruit at Tortworth,
Gloucefterfhire, and we have been favoured with its bloffoms
by Lady Vifcountefs Cremorne. Its trank is 15 feet in diameter.
Noble fpecimens of the chefnut may alfo be feen in
Ipfwieh park, and even in Kenfington gardens.
The trank is known by the deep wide clefts in its bark.
The branches fpread to a great extent. The foliage, lefs rich
and tufted than that of the oak, is diftinguifhed by a lucid
brilliancy, and a peculiar Iharpnefs owing to the long, veiny,
and acutely ferrated form of the leaves. The flowers appear
in May in long pendulous downy fpikes, being gathered
together in feffile tufts upon a common Ample ftalk. Stamina
capillary, about 12 or more to each calyx, without piftilla,
which grow on a different fpike, 2 or 3 to each flower.
Stigmas 3, awl-ftiaped, rigid, permanent.- Seeds generally
2, invefted with the calyx greatly enlarged, and defended with
complicated prickles. They ripen in September, and afford a
grateful food to feveral animals as well as to mankind. In
Italy and Spain they are much ufed.