Along the new River Trail today P and I found a cache of gorgeous yellow buckeye nuts, many still in their capsules. I really enjoy the design of these-- the dehiscent lines on the smooth capsule where a smart squirrel can easily open it by inserting its front teeth into the groove; the boat-shaped half capsules after the nuts have been removed, with a few immature nuts peeking out from between the papery lining of the inner chamber. There is some kind of umbilical connection. The oval spot on the nut matches perfectly the oval spot inside the chamber to which it is apparently connected. I collected a whole bagful of the empty cases and a few nuts and found two unopened capsules that I opened easily. Does anybody know if these are edible?
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