The Indian horse chestnut is a spectacular sight in early summer as stumpy candles of densely packed white flowers light up the rounded canopy of foliage. Like many of its relatives, its flowers have yellow centres until they have been pollinated, at which point they turn pink. This is a signal to pollinating insects, which avoid the pink flowers. Bees working the flowers can often be seen with baskets of brick-red pollen on their hind legs.
DNA analysis has resulted in the former maple family (Aceraceae) and horse chestnut family (Hippocastanaceae) both being included in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae).
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