Growing at the base of a white oak in a mature wood. Around 6″ high. Leaves are soft.
Hi Norman,
this is a young buckeye, genus Aesculus. Hard to tell what species, because we have several in South Carolina. The coastal one is usually Aesculus pavia, the Upstate ones can be Aesculus flava or Aesculus sylvatica, or hybrids.
Sincerely,
Steven Hill, Ph.D., Botanist