Aesculus indica
| Aesculus indica | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 98' |
| Width: | 39' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Aesculus indica (common name: indian horse chestnut)
Propagation: Seed - best sown outdoors or in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[1][2]. The seed germinates almost immediately and must be given protection from severe weather[3]. The seed has a very limited viability and must not be allowed to dry out. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours prior to sowing and even after this may still not be viable[2][4]. It is best to sow the seed with its 'scar' downwards[3]. If sowing the seed in a cold frame, pot up the seedlings in early spring and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Cultivation: Prefers a deep loamy well-drained soil but is not too fussy[5][1][6]. Succeeds on chalk[1]. Dislikes dry soils[1].
This species does very well in south-west England, growing best in areas where the minimum temperatures do not fall below about -5°c[6]. Young shoots in the spring can be cut back by late frosts in low-lying districts[1][7].
Trees cast quite a dense shade[8].
Most members of this genus transplant easily, even when fairly large[1].
Range: E. Asia - North-western Himalayas.
Habitat: Wet temperate forests and shady ravines to 3,000 metres[9][10].
Edibility: Seed - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a gruel[11][12][13][14][15]. The seed is roasted then eaten in Nepal[16]. It is also dried then ground into a flour and used with wheat flour to develop the flavour when making bread[16]. The seed is quite large, about 35mm in diameter[8], and is easily harvested. Unfortunately it also contains toxic saponins and these need to be removed before it can be eaten. The seed is used as an emergency food in times of famine when all else fails[17]. It is dried and ground into a powder, this is then soaked in water for about 12 hours before use in order to remove the bitter saponins and can be used to make a 'halva'[8]. It is estimated that mature trees yield about 60kg of seeds per annum in the wild[8]. See also the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal: The seed is astringent, acrid and narcotic[16].
An oil from the seed is applied externally in the treatment of skin disease and rheumatism[18][10][16]. The juice of the bark is also used to treat rheumatism[16]. A paste made from the oil cake is applied to the forehead to relieve headaches[16].
The seed is given to horses suffering from colic[18][10]. It is also used as an anthelmintic on horses to rid them of intestinal parasites[16].
Usage: Saponins in the seed are used as a soap substitute[19]. The saponins can be easily obtained by chopping the seed into small pieces and infusing them in hot water. This water can then be used for washing the body, clothes etc. Its main drawback is a lingering odour of horse chestnuts[K].
Wood - soft, close grained. Used for construction, cases, spoons, cups etc[13][14][15].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The seed is rich in saponins[20][21]. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by care
Also Known As: Pavia indica.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Royal Horticultural Society. The Plantsman Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983. Royal Horticultural Society, 1982.
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Royal Horticultural Society. The Plantsman Vol. 6. 1984 - 1985. Royal Horticultural Society, 1984.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Parmar, Chiranjit. Wild Fruits of the Sub-Himalayan Region. Kalyani Publishers, 1982.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Manandhar, N. Medicinal Plants of Nepal Himalaya. Department of Medicinal Plants, 1993.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Howes, Frank. Nuts. Faber, 1948.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Singh, Gurcharan and Premnath Kachroo. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1976.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.