Conkers Bonkers! The "Conker" season is upon us.

"Conkers" are the seeds, in the form of nuts, of the Horse Chestnut tree. They are used for the school-child's game of the same name. For readers unfamiliar with this autumnal pastime, players drill a hole through the middle of the nut or "conker", thread a string through, knot it and then proceed to take alternate blows at the opponent's "conker". The winner is the one who breaks the opponent's "conker". How to play the game here

First introduced to Britain from the Balkans in the late 16th century, it was not until about 200 years later that the fruits of the horse chestnut trees were used to play "conkers". Before that, "conkers" were played with hazel or cobnuts or snail shells. "Conkers" are eaten by deer and cattle and in the past were sometimes ground up as meal to fatten sheep.

The horse chestnut's scientific name is Aesculus hippocastanum. In the UK, horse chestnuts have been grown as ornamental trees, particularly in avenues or along roadsides for their spectacular "candles" of white flowers all over the tree in the spring.

These trees are seen at their best when grown in the open reaching up to 35m (115ft) with the arching branches normally turned up at the ends. It is one of the largest flowering trees of the temperate world.

The leaves are large and compound, in the form of a palm with the five or six leaflets spreading out like the fingers of a fat hand. The leaves fall in autumn to leave large horseshoe-shaped leaf scars

The flowers then give rise to the large globular green spiky fruit. These split open about September to reveal one to three large shiny, mahogany brown seeds or nuts - the "conkers".

The pale cream or brown wood is very light, weak and of little economic timber value - it was used in the past to make artificial limbs because it was light and easy to shape.

Conkers Bonkers facts:
The 'ancient' game of conkers hasn't been around for as long as you might think. Here are ten conker facts:

Conkers are the fruit (or seeds) of horse chestnut trees (botanic name: Aesculus).
Horse chestnut trees originally came from Albania and Greece. They weren't introduced to the UK until the 1600s.
Before horse chestnuts were used to play conkers, snail-shells were used. Snail shells were sometimes called 'conkers'.
The first recorded game of conkers was not until 1848.
The origin of the name 'conker' is unclear, but one popular explanation is that it stems from the French word cogner, meaning to "hit" or "biff".
A favoured way of going conkering (collecting the conkers from a tree) is throwing sticks up into the tree's branches.
In 2001, Norwich City Council suggested felling seven horse chestnut trees because they feared the conkers were a danger to pedestrians, who could slip on the mulch they leave behind.
In October, 2001, Eamonn Dooley, from County Kilkenny, Ireland, smashed 306 conkers in an hour.
Some schools have banned children from playing conkers because they are seen as 'dangerous weapons'.
In 1999, the charity ActionAid applied to patent the game of conkers. It was protesting at companies trying to take out patents on existing crops, such as basmati rice, and the patenting of life forms.
The wood of the horse chestnut tree used to be used to make artificial limbs, because it was light and easy to shape.
How things have changed, October 2004 - The Headmaster at a primary school is ruling that Children have been banned from playing conkers unless they wear safety goggles. Health and Safety Officials are advising schools of safety implications.
In the Autumn of 2006, national papers reported that a council were paying a company to remove the conkers from trees, for the safety of people. They did not want to be liable for any subsequent injury claims if a conker fell on a walker-by. It was reported that £100 a tree was being paid to remove the conkers from the Horse Chestnut trees.