BUCKEYE FAMILY (Aesculaceae)
SOUTHERN BUCKEYE
Leaves digitate; calyx tubular, 5-lobed; petals 4-5, unequal; stamens 5-8, inserted on disk; capsules leathery, usually 3-celled; seeds large, shining.
Southern Buckeye (Aesculus discolor) is a handsome shrub or small tree with showy spike-like clusters of deep red or yellow flowers. The yellow-flowered shrub formerly known as Aesculus octandra is now called variety flavescens. The finely-toothed leaves are a glossy dark green above and whitish beneath. The red flowers have a red tubular calyx and 4 red petals, and the yellow variety has all-yellow flowers. Seldom more than 2 large brown seed develop in the 3-lobed leathery capsule.
The seeds and young shoots of buckeyes are usually considered poisonous, those of the horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) being especially so. Soap may be obtained from the roots and a black dye from the wood.
Western Buckeye (Aesculus arguta) is a yellow-flowered buckeye with leaves divided into 7-9 leaflets. It is found along streams in the western part of the state north to Iowa and Missouri. The buckeyes bloom in March or April. They shed their leaves quite early in the fall and are conspicuous in the winter because of their large buds.