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The Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is a relatively recent introduction to the British Isles, having arrived, along with many exotic species, in the wake of the European Renaissance. The Horse Chestnut was probably brought from its native territory of Greece, Albania and Bulgaria at the end of the reign of Elizabeth I, and some living specimens in Britain may date back to that time. The name is derived from the fact that Turkish horsemen used extracts from the tree to cure breathing & digestive difficulties in their horses. The sap contains an astringent, which means that it can assist with the shrinking and tightening of blood vessels. The pale wood is not strong, and is consequently used for ornamental objects, though its light weight did make it popular at one time for artificial limbs. The name for the seeds, "conkers", probably derives from the game of
that name which was first played by the French in the 1840s, with snail shells ("conch"). Other themes associated with this one:
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