| Ohio buckeye | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Sapindaceae |
| Genus: | Aesculus |
| Species: | A. glabra |
| Binomial name | |
| Aesculus glabra | |
 | |
| Generalized natural range | |
Aesculus glabra, commonly known asOhio buckeye,[2]Texas buckeye,[3]fetid buckeye,[3] andhorse chestnut[3]is a species of tree in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) native to North America.
Its natural range is primarily in theMidwestern and lowerGreat Plains regions of the United States, extending southeast into thegeological Black Belt of Alabama and Mississippi.[4] It is also found locally in the extreme southwest ofOntario, onWalpole Island inLake St. Clair.[5]
It is found in a variety of natural habitats, including streambanks, uplandmesic forests, and along the margins of old fields.[6] It is typically found incalcareous areas.[7]
Theleaves are palmately compound with five leaflets 8–16 cm (3–6+1⁄2 in) long and broad. Theflowers are produced inpanicles in spring, red, yellow to yellow-green, each flower2–3 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄4 in) long with the stamens longer than the petals (unlike the relatedyellow buckeye, where the stamens are shorter than the petals). Thefruit is a round capsule4–5 cm (1+1⁄2–2 in) diameter, containing onenut-likeseed,2–3 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄4 in) in diameter, brown with a whitish basal scar.
The inedible seeds containtannic acid and are poisonous tocattle and humans. The young foliage, shoots, and bark are also poisonous to some degree.[8]However, Native Americans reportedly did eat buckeye fruit after boiling it to extract tannin.[9]
The name stems from Native Americans, who called the nut "hetuck", which means "buck eye". The markings of the nut resembled the eyes of adeer.[10]
Aesculus glabra has little use as a timber tree due to its soft, light wood.[8] Although occasionally seen in cultivation, the large, copiously produced fruits make it generally undesirable as a street tree.[2] Extracts fromA. glabra have shown anti-cancer properties.[11]
TheLenape carry the nuts in their pockets forrheumatism, and an infusion of ground nuts is mixed with sweet oil or mutton tallow for earaches. They also grind the nuts and use them to poison fish in streams.[12][13]
Native Americansblanched buckeye nuts, extracting the tannic acid for use in making leather.[citation needed] The nuts can also be dried, turning dark as they harden with exposure to the air, and strung into necklaces similar to those made from thekukui nut inHawaii.[14]
The Ohio buckeye is the state tree ofOhio, and its name is an original term of endearment for the pioneers on the Ohio frontier. Subsequently, "buckeye" came to be used as the nickname and colloquialname for people from Ohio.[15]Ohio State University adopted "Buckeyes" officially as its nickname in 1950, and also uses the name for its sports teams.[16] It came to be applied to any student or graduate of the university.[17]
Buckeye candy, made to resemble the tree's nut, is made by dipping a ball ofpeanut butter fudge inmilk chocolate, leaving a circle of the peanut butter exposed.[18] These are a popular treat in Ohio, especially during theChristmas andcollege football seasons.[19][20]
Buckeyes (the nuts) are a recurring motif inBill Watterson's comic,Calvin and Hobbes, often as one of Calvin's tools of torment.[21] Watterson himself grew up inChagrin Falls, Ohio, an eastern suburb ofCleveland.[22]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)