Ohio Buckeye
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| Aesculus glabra Willd. |
(Aesculus glabra) is a species of Aesculus native to eastern North America, from Pennsylvania, west through Ohio after which it is named, to southeast Nebraska, and south to northeast Texas and northern Georgia; it is also native locally in the extreme southwest of Ontario. It is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 15-25 m tall.
The leaves are palmately compound with five (rarely seven) leaflets, 8-16 cm long and broad. The flowers are produced in panicles in spring, yellow to yellow-green, each flower 2-3 cm long with the stamens longer than the petals (unlike the related Yellow Buckeye, where the stamens are shorter than the petals). The fruit is a round or oblong spiny capsule 4-5 cm diameter, containing 1-3 nut-like seeds, 2-3 cm diameter, brown with a whitish basal scar.
The fruits contain tannic acid, and are poisonous for humans, horses, and cattle, however, they are often eaten by squirrels. Native Americans would blanch them, extracting the tannic acid for use in leather.
[edit] Symbolism and uses
The Ohio Buckeye is the state tree of Ohio and an original term of endearment for the pioneers on the Ohio frontier, with specific association with William Henry Harrison. Subsequently, the word was used as the nickname of the Ohio State University sports teams and came to be applied to any graduate of the university.
The buckeye confection, made to resemble the tree's nut, is made by dipping a dollop of peanut butter fudge in milk chocolate, leaving a circle of the fudge exposed. These are a popular treat in Ohio, especially during the Christmas and NCAA college football seasons.
[edit] References and external links
- Darbyshire, S. J., & Oldham, M. J. (1985). Ohio buckeye, Aesculus glabra, on Walpole Island, Lambton County, Ontario. Canad. Field-Nat. 99: 370-372.
- USDA plant profile for Ohio Buckeye
- National Register of Big Trees
- Aesculus glabra images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
