CHAP. CV.

coryla'ce/e. casta'nea

2003

springs up spontaneously wherever the ground is not covered with water.It was one of the earliest-imported American plants, having been intro-duced by the Duchess of Beaufort in 1699. In British nurseries, thisspecies is propagated by inarching on the common chestnut, or by layers.There are handsome small bushes of it in the Horticultural Society’sGarden, and at Messrs. Loddiges’s ; and it is occasionally met with in col-lections. Seeds are also sometimes imported.

App. i. Species of Castanea not yet introduced into European

Gardens.

Several species of chestnuts have been discovered in Nepal and Java; some of which were, at first,supposed to belong to the genus Quercus , but which have been separated from that genus, and referredto Castknea, by Dr. Lindley; and others, which have been described and figured by Blume, in hissplendid work on the plants of Java. Dr. Lindley has given a synoptical list of the Indian CasUnea?in Dr. Wallich’s PI. As. liar., in which he enu-merates eight different species, all of which weshall shortly notice below.

C. indica Rox. Hort. Beng., p. 68 , Lindl. inWall. PI. As. Rar., Royle Illust., p. 341., is anative of the mountains of Nepal and Silhet.

C. Roxburgh'n Lind., 1. c.; Qudrcus castanicarpaRox. Hort. Beng., p. 68., Spre?ig. Syst. Leg., 3.p. 856.; is a native of Chittagong ^

C. spkcerocdrpa Lindl., 1. c.; Qu£rcus armitaRox. MSS.: is a native of the mountains nearSilhet.

C. tribuldides Lindl., 1. c., Royle Illust., p. 341;

Quercus Z'ribulosdes Smith in Rees's Cycl., No. 13.,

L. Lon. in Prod. Nep., p. 56., Wall in Lift .; Q.

Cattingea Ham. MSS.; (l. ftirox Rox. Hort. Beng.,p. 68. This species, according to Sir J. E. Smitn,was discovered by Dr. Buchanan (Hamilton) inthe forests of Upper Nepal, flowering and fruitingat various seasons. Dr. Buchanan supposed it tobe an oak; and he describes it as being a tree withsmooth branches, and leaves on short footstalks,lanceolate, more or less ovate, entire, taper-pointed,somewhat unequal at tiie base, about 4 in. long,in. broad ; rigid, and rather coriaceous, with ir-regular, distant, slightly curved veins; the upper

1929

surface polished, and the under one paler, and opaque. The flowers are generally monoecious (thoughDr. Buchanan observed one tree with only female flowers), in slender, downy, clustered, axillary, orterminal spikes; the male spikes being most numerous. Stamens about 8, with a dotted central disk.The calyx of the fruit is armed with very numerous, rigid, prominent, sharp thorns, a fourth of an inchor more in length, spreading in every direction. Thisspecies is called Cattum, or Cattumje, in the Parhattylanguage; Shingali, or Catu-Shingali, by the Nemours.

(See Rees's Cycl., art. Quercus .) Sir J. E. Smith addsthat Dr. Buchanan found the flowers “ agree withQuercus ; to which genus he referred this remarkableplant;” though the “strongly muricated calyx,” which,in some of his specimens, seemed to “ split into 2 or 3valves,” approached “the nature of the chestnut.”

It is now generally allowed to belong to the genusCast&nea.

C. martabdnica Wall. PI. As. Rar., t. 107., and ourfig.' 1929., has the leaves lanceolate-oblong, acuminate,quite entire, smooth, on short footstalks, acute at thebase, silvery beneath. Catkins downy, densely clothedwith palmate branchy spines, divaricate. ( Wall .) Anative of Martaban, near Amherst. Dr.Wallich “onlyobserved this fine large species of chestnut in the im-mediate neighbourhood of Amherst. It was coveredwith a profusion of fruit in the"month of February.

The seeds had an astringent taste. Professor Lindleythinks that there is no difference between C. arg^ntea ofDr.Blume’s superb Flora Javce and my (Dr. Waliich’s)tree, except that the former is depicted with weakspines; a circumstance, no doubt, due to the fruit, whichwas described as having been unripe. I venture todissent from my highly respected friend. Dr; Blume’stree appears to me to differ in the following points :—f L eaves are more acuminate at the apex, and sharper ,at the base; and their petioles longer. The fruit is^smaller, and its spines much shorter and less com- *pound. Besides, the locality seems to indicate a diver-’sdy: the Java tree grows on mountains, whereas mine aoccupies low ground, on the sea shore of Martaban.” 4k|jljj|E 1QQAWall. PL As. Rar., t. 107.)' J JJU

?l ume i aV 'i. t 2! ' , , a K 1 ’ ° mJis , ,9SL > has the 'eaves oblong-lanceolatc, much

umrnated, narrowed towards the base, glabrous and silverJ beneath. Calkins silky. A tall tree,

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