Aesculus pavia (Red buckeye)

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Aesculus pavia L.

Red buckeye

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Sapindales	Includes citrus; maples, horse-chestnuts, lychees and rambutans; mangos and cashews; frankincense and myrrh; mahogany and neem
Family	Sapindaceae	Soapberry family
Genus	Aesculus	Means “edible acorn” (though some species are definitely not edible)
Species	pavia	Named for Dutch botanist Peter Paaw (Latinized as Petrus Pavius)

About plant names...

Red buckeye is a North American native plant. Aesculus, a name chosen by Linnaeus, means "edible acorn," but this name was meant for horse chestnuts: red buckeye seeds are poisonous. The species, pavia, is named for the Dutch botanist, Peter Paaw.

Identification: These shrubs are 12-20' (3.7-6.1 m) in height, and about the same in diameter. Leaves are in palmlike clusters of five (sometimes seven), emanating from a common point. They are a dark, shiny green, with fine serrations and often an orange midvein, 5-10" (12-25 cm) long. It has attractive 4-10" (10-25 cm) long clusters (panicles) of red, orange-red, or yellow flowers. Individual flowers are tubular, about 1" (2.5 cm) long, favored by ruby-throated hummingbirds. Fruits are somewhat pear-shaped, 1½-3" (3.8-7.6 cm) around, containing three red chestnut-like seeds per fruit. The outer husk enclosing the seeds is tan.

Edibility: Poisonous Skull & Crossbones Seeds and young shoots are deadly poisonous, and other parts of the plant are not palatable. Some native cultures crushed the poisonous parts of these plants and immersed them in water to stun and capture fish.