Saturday, August 13, 2011

Indian Horsechestnut - Aesculus indica

Indian or Himalayan Horse Chestnut is an attractive tree grows to about 30 meters (100 feet), with a range up to about 12 meters (39 feet). It is hardy to -15 ° C (5 ° F) USDA Zones 7-9. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen in October.  
The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both bodies male and female) and are pollinated by Bees.with abundant white flowers in May and June The large leaves 10-20 cm long by 2-6 cm wide are ornamental and the canopy of mature trees is a pleasant tour.
Originally from the Himalayas, India Chestnut is a large, deciduous, distribution, tree shaded with a straight trunk and branches into wreaths. The average height is 22 m, trunk circumference is about 1 m, the bark is freed up into thin strips.
The young shoots are meticulously smooth, becoming glabrous at maturity. The shiny leaves have seven leaflets usually due to the same point in a rather reddish stems. The leaves are very decorative, and look like little umbrellas. The tree loses its leaves in winter and new growth begins in the last week of March.
In April, the tree produces vertical spikes of buds in May-June, the tree is decorated with panicles of white flowers standing. The plumes are about 40 cm long, with over 300 flowers. These flowers are followed by the production of a thorny green fruit that many brown seeds. Flowering: May-June
The leaves are used as fodder in some parts of northern India. The seeds are dried and ground into a flower called Tattawakher bitter. The bitterness is made by saponins, which is washed by the washing of the meal during cooking. The flower is often mixed with wheat flour for chapatis (Indian bread) and also to make Halwa (Indian sweets), and sometimes served as Dahlia (porridge or gruel) during periods of fasting.
It is used in traditional Indian medicine for the treatment of certain skin diseases, rheumatism, as an astringent, and strong drugs. and relief of headaches

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