Common Name: Indian Horse Chestnut

General Information

Aesculus indica is a deciduous tree with a large, dense, spreading crown; it can reach a height of over 30 metres in the wild. The bole is often short, usually around 100cm in diameter, but it can be much more[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. A very ornamental tree, but only suitable for large areas.

Known Hazards

Most, if not all, species in this genus are poisonous, containing the glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids[].
The seed is rich in saponins[, ]. Although poisonous, saponins also have a range of medicinal applications and many saponin-rich plants are used in herbalism (particularly as emetics, expectorants and febrifuges) or as sources of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins are also found in a number of common foods, such as many beans.
Saponins have a quite bitter flavour and are in general poorly absorbed by the human body, so most pass through without harm. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins.
Saponins are much more toxic to many cold-blooded creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish and make them easy to catch[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - North-western Himalayas.

Habitat

Wet temperate forests and shady ravines at elevations up to 3,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	30.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Aesculus indica is a plant of moderate to high elevations in the Himalayas. It is quite cold tolerant, especially when dormant, but grows best in areas where the minimum temperatures do not fall below about -5°c[]. Young growth in the spring can be cut back by late frosts in low-lying districts[, ].
Prefers a deep loamy well-drained soil but is not too fussy[, , ]. Succeeds on chalk[]. Dislikes dry soils[].
Trees cast quite a dense shade[].
Seedlings quickly develop a taproot and larger plants can be difficult to transplant[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a gruel[, , , , ]. The seed is roasted then eaten in Nepal[]. It is also dried then ground into a flour and used with wheat flour to develop the flavour when making bread[]. The seed is quite large, about 35mm in diameter[], and is easily harvested. Unfortunately it also contains toxic saponins and these need to be removed before it can be eaten. The seed is used as an emergency food in times of famine when all else fails[]. It is dried and ground into a powder, this is then soaked in water for about 12 hours before use in order to remove the bitter saponins and can be used to make a 'halva'[]. It is estimated that mature trees yield about 60kg of seeds per annum in the wild[]. See also the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal

The seed is astringent, acrid and narcotic[].
An oil from the seed is applied externally in the treatment of skin disease and rheumatism[, , ]. A paste made from the oil cake is applied to the forehead to relieve headaches[].
The seed is given to horses suffering from colic[, ]. It is also used as an anthelmintic on horses to rid them of intestinal parasites[].

The bak is astringent, and is used as a tonic and febrifuge[]. The juice of the bark is also used to treat rheumatism[].

Other Uses

Saponins in the seed are used as a soap substitute[]. The saponins can be easily obtained by chopping the seed into small pieces and infusing them in hot water. This water can then be used for washing the body, clothes etc. Its main drawback is a lingering odour of horse chestnuts[].

Wood - soft, close grained. Used for construction, cases, spoons, cups etc[, , ].

Propagation

Seed - best sown outdoors or in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[, ]. The seed germinates almost immediately and must be given protection from severe weather[]. Seedlings develop a large taproot following germination and so, if grown in containers, should be given sufficient root room[]. The seed has a very limited viability and must not be allowed to dry out. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours prior to sowing and even after this may still not be viable[, ]. It is best to sow the seed with its 'scar' downwards[]. If sowing the seed in a cold frame, pot up the seedlings in early spring and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.