Aesculus indica Indian horse chestnut (Hippocastanaceae) Deciduous tree

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Aesculus indica
Indian horse chestnut
Deciduous tree
(1 Page of 5)

The Aesculus indica plant species is found in E. Asia - Northwestern Himalayas. It is a member of the Hippocastanaceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Indian horse chestnut. Some home gardeners know the variety as Pavia indica.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Aesculus indica
Common Name:  Indian horse chestnut
Family:  Hippocastanaceae
Author:  (Wallich. ex Camb.)Hook.

Known Hazards:  The seed is rich in saponins[20, 65]. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching the seed or flour in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisible to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some 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[K].

Mature Height:  30   Mature Width:  12

Habitat:  Wet temperate forests and shady ravines to 3,000 metres[51, 243].

Edible Uses: Seed - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a gruel[2, 63, 145, 146, 158]. The seed is quite large, about 35mm in diameter[194], 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[177]. 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'[194]. It is estimated that mature trees yield about 60kg of seeds per annum in the wild[194]. See also the notes above on toxicity.

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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