What is a conker shell called? Usually only 1–5 fruits develop on each panicle; the shell is a green, spiky capsule containing one (rarely two or three) nut-like seeds called conkers
Conkers
Conkers is a traditional children's game in the British Isles played using the seeds of horse chestnut trees—the name 'conker' is also applied to the seed and to the tree itself. The game is played by two players, each with a conker threaded onto a piece of string: they take turns striking ea…
Full Answer
How many Conkers are in a conker tree shell?
Two conkers, one still in the shell. Considering this, what are Conker trees called? Conkers is a traditional children's game in the British Isles played using the seeds of horse chestnut trees—the name 'conker' is also applied to the seed and to the tree itself.
What is another name for a conker?
Conkers are also known regionally as obblyonkers, cheggies* or cheesers. Although a "cheeser" is a conker with one or more flat sides, this comes about due to it sharing its pod with other conkers (twins or triplets). Also Cheggers was used in Lancaster, England in the 1920s.
What does a conker look like?
They grow in green spiky cases and fall to the ground in autumn - the shells often split on impact to reveal the shiny conker inside. Can you eat conkers?
Where did the game of conkers get its name?
The first recorded game of Conkers using horse chestnuts was on the Isle of Wight in 1848. There is uncertainty of the origins of the name.
What is a conker shell?
Conkers are the glossy brown seeds of the horse chestnut tree. They grow in green spiky cases and fall to the ground in autumn - the shells often split on impact to reveal the shiny conker inside.
What is the covering of a chestnut called?
Edible chestnuts belong to the genus Castanea and are enclosed in sharp, spine-covered burs.
What are conkers called?
Conkers are also known regionally as cheesers, a "cheeser" being a conker with one or more flat sides, which comes about due to it sharing its pod with other conkers (twins or triplets).
Is a conker the same as a chestnut?
Chestnuts and conkers are quite different from each other, especially in the fact that chestnuts are edible and conkers are not. That said, the two nuts are often confused for each other, as they both have the same reddish-brown color and conkers are often referred to as horse chestnuts.
Why are horse chestnuts called horse chestnuts?
Etymology. The common name horse chestnut originates from the similarity of the leaves and fruits to sweet chestnuts, Castanea sativa (a tree in a different family, the Fagaceae), together with the alleged observation that the fruit or seeds could help panting or coughing horses.
Is a horse chestnut A chestnut?
American chestnut (Castanea dentata) and horse chestnut (Aesculus hippo-castanaum) are both deciduous trees that share the same short name – “chestnut”.
Why do we call it a conker?
The name may come from the dialect word conker, meaning "hard nut" (perhaps related to French conque meaning a conch, as the game was originally played using snail shells and small bits of string).
Do conkers keep spiders away?
Conkers might not repel spiders Unfortunately, there's no proof this is true. The story goes that conkers contain a noxious chemical that repels spiders but no-one's ever been able to scientifically prove it. There's hearsay that if a spider gets close to a conker it will curl its legs up and die within one day.
Are conkers and Buckeyes the same?
Some are also called white chestnut or red chestnut. In Britain, they are sometimes called conker trees because of their link with the game of conkers, played with the seeds, also called conkers....AesculusClade:AngiospermsClade:EudicotsClade:RosidsOrder:Sapindales12 more rows
What nut has a spiky shell?
If you've encountered some round, spiny balls under a tree or maybe still on the plant, and you're wondering what it could be, it's likely one of several options: buckeye/horsechestnut (Aesculus), chestnut (Castanea), or sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua).
Can I grow a tree from a conker?
It is always exciting to teach them about how to grow from seed or, in this case, from conkers. Conkers, often called the buckeye, contain seeds from which new trees can grow. These are the fruit of the horse chestnut tree. However, the conker must be opened for the release of the seeds.
Can humans eat horse chestnuts?
While cultivated or wild sweet chestnuts are edible, horse chestnuts are toxic, and can cause digestive disorders such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, or throat irritation.
What is a conker?
A selection of fresh conkers from a horse chestnut tree. Conkers is a traditional children's game in Great Britain and Ireland played using the seeds of horse chestnut trees—the name 'conker' is also applied to the seed and to the tree itself. The game is played by two players, each with a conker threaded onto a piece of string: they take turns ...
When were conkers first used?
The first recorded game of Conkers using horse chestnuts was on the Isle of Wight in 1848. There is uncertainty of the origins of the name.
Why were conkers banned from the British Junior Conkers Championships?
At the British Junior Conkers Championships on the Isle of Wight in October 2005, contestants were banned from bringing their own conkers due to fears that they might harden them.
What is the Campaign for Real Conkers?
The Campaign for Real Conkers claimed this was an example of over-regulation which was causing a drop in interest in the game. In both the World Conker Championship and the North American Championship, contestants are also restricted to using the conkers provided by the Organisers.
How are Conker victories counted?
In some areas of the United States and Canada, conker victories are counted using the terms one-kinger, two-kinger, etc. In some regions, the winning conker receives all the points accumulated by the losing one, in addition to gaining one more point for the defeat.
How many points does a conker get for surviving a hit?
A conker gains one point for surviving a hit that causes the other one to break. The point is scored whether the surviving conker was attacking or defending at the time.
How many people play the Conker game?
The game is played between two people, each with a conker. They take turns hitting each other's conker using their own. One player lets the conker dangle on the full length of the string while the other player swings their conker and hits.
What is a conker?
Conkers are the glossy brown seeds of the horse chestnut tree. They grow in green spiky cases and fall to the ground in autumn - the shells often split on impact to reveal the shiny conker inside.
What is the difference between a sweet chestnut and a conker?
Both come in green shells, but conker cases have short, stumpy spikes all over. Inside, the conkers are round and glossy.
Can you eat conkers?
No. Conkers contain a poisonous chemical called aesculin. Eating a conker is unlikely to be fatal, but it may make you ill. They are poisonous to most animals too, including dogs, but some species such as deer and wild boar can eat them.
Overview
Origins
The first mention of the game is in Robert Southey's memoirs published in 1821. He describes a similar game, but played with snail shells or hazelnuts. It was only from the 1850s that using horse chestnuts was regularly referred to in certain regions. The game grew in popularity in the 19th century, and spread beyond England.
The first recorded game of Conkers using horse chestnuts was on the Isle of Wight in 1848.
Game
• A hole is drilled in a large, hard conker using a nail, gimlet, small screwdriver, or electric drill. A piece of string (often a shoelace is used), about 20 cm (8 inches) long, is threaded through it. A large knot at one or both ends of the string secures the conker.
• The game is played between two people, each with a conker.
Championships
In 1965 the World Conker Championships were set up in Ashton (near Oundle) Northamptonshire, England, and still take place on the second Sunday of October every year. In 2004, an audience of 5,000 turned up to watch more than 500 competitors from all over the world. The 2016 Championship was featured on the BBC programme "Countryfile".
1976 was the first time that a non-British contestant won the Men's World Conker Championship…
North America
The North American Conker Championship was inaugurated on 20 October 2012 at the Historic Gardens in the town of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada, hosted by the Annapolis Royal Conker Club.
The first North American Conker Champion was Jeff Hafting, of Annapolis Royal, NS. Ryan Scranton of Granville Beach, NS, was the runner-up.
Safety concerns
In 2000 a survey of British schools by Keele University showed that many were not allowing children to play conkers, as head teachers were afraid of the legal consequences if children were injured while playing the game, or because they thought that the conkers might be used as weapons. The TV programme Top Gear later staged a game of conkers using caravans suspended from cranes. After putting on safety goggles, presenter James May commented "I now feel perfe…
See also
• Egg tapping, a similar game with eggs
External links
• British Library Playtimes An interview about conkers recorded in 1970 by Iona Opie
• Eichhorn, Markus (October 2010). "The Conker Tree (Horse Chestnut)". Test Tube. Brady Haran for the University of Nottingham.