Flesh red horse chestnut
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Flesh-red horse chestnut ( Aesculus × carnea ), inflorescence |
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The flesh-red horse chestnut , also red-flowering horse chestnut , purple chestnut or misleading red horse chestnut ( Aesculus × carnea , syn .: Aesculus rubicunda ), is a deciduous tree from the horse chestnut genus ( Aesculus ) that is often planted in parks in Central Europe . This is a hybrid between that of the Balkan Peninsula derived ordinary horse chestnut ( Aesculus hippocastanum ) and the North American Red Horse Chestnut ( Aesculus Pavia ).
The flesh-red horse chestnut is a fertile hybrid first observed in 1818; it forms germinable seeds.
description
This deciduous tree reaches heights of growth of up to 22 meters and trunk diameters of up to about 60 centimeters and is relatively slow-growing and short-lived. As a park tree, it is therefore usually grafted up to the common horse chestnut . The crown is arched to spherical and densely branched. The bark is initially dark green, later reddish brown with many lenticels; measles bulbs often form . The bark of the twigs is light greenish-gray to reddish-gray with conspicuous orange-colored lenticels . The compound, fingered leaves are darker and smaller than those of the common horse chestnut. The leaf stalk is up to 23 cm long. The leaflets are obovate to elliptical and 8 to 15 centimeters long and the edge is serrated. In contrast to the common horse chestnut, the leaves hardly change color in autumn.
The cloudy, light red flowers are in a loose 12 to 20 centimeter long panicle inflorescence . The flowering time in Central Europe is around the second half of May. The spherical capsule fruits are smooth or only slightly prickly; at 3 to 4 centimeters, they are slightly smaller than the common horse chestnut. There are two to three small, dull brown seeds in the fruit.
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 80.
Cultivated forms
There are several cultivated forms of the flesh-red horse chestnut (selection):
- Aesculus × carnea 'Briotii': This form originated in France in 1858 . She is more willing to grow than the guy. The leaves are glossier; Above all, however, the flowers, standing in panicles about 15 cm long, are much darker; their color is bright blood red. Mainly because of its more attractive appearance, this shape is clearly preferred over the street and park tree type.
- Aesculus × carnea var. Plantierensis (Syn .: Aesculus × plantierensis André ) with light red flowers
- Aesculus × carnea var. Purpurea with an intense purple flower color
Individual evidence
- ^ Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . 8th edition. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 . Page 648.
Web links
- Characteristics.
- Photos.
- Forma Briotii ( Memento from January 17, 2008 in the Internet Archive )