Aesculus
Sign in to savethumb|Aesculus glabra Ohio buckeye thumb|Flower of Aesculus x carnea|Aesculus × carnea, the red horse-chestnut thumb|Germinating seed of a horse-chestnut still half-enclosed in its shell, while the root has already reached the soil
AI overview
Aesculus is a genus of trees and shrubs that includes horse-chestnuts and buckeyes, known for their distinctive large seeds and showy flowers. These plants are found in various regions and are cultivated as ornamentals, with some species like the Ohio buckeye and red horse-chestnut being particularly notable examples.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderSapindales
- FamilySapindaceae
via GBIF · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Subclass of
- tree
- Parent taxon
- Hippocastanoideae
- Image
- Aesculus hippocastanum flori.jpg
Show 3 more facts
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Description
- Species
- Uses
- Cultivation
- In history
- See also
- References
- Explanatory notes
- Citations
- External links
thumb|Aesculus glabra Ohio buckeye thumb|Flower of Aesculus x carnea|Aesculus × carnea, the red horse-chestnut thumb|Germinating seed of a horse-chestnut still half-enclosed in its shell, while the root has already reached the soil
The genus Aesculus () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae. They are trees and shrubs, mostly native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but one species (A. assamica) into subtropical areas of southeast Asia. The Plants of the World Online (POWO) database currently accepts 12 species, with seven species native to North America, four native to Asia, and one native to Europe; some other authors have accepted more species. Hardin (1957–1960) accepted 13 species, the Trees and Shrubs Online website cites "13–15" species with descriptions given for 14 species, and Harris et al. (2009) accepted 16 species. Six natural hybrids occur, and several others have been raised in cultivation. The European and Asian species are known as horse-chestnut or horse chestnut, and the North American species as buckeye. Aesculus exhibits a classical Arcto-Tertiary distribution.