42 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



The above is what we learn from officinal source, but it might not be 

 out of place to further mention that in Micheaux "Sylva" (vol. II., 

 pp. 41 and 42) we find that, "combined with laudanum (which makes it 

 more easily borne in the stomach), it has frequently dissipated alarming 

 symptoms of pulmonary consumption. It has also been successfully 

 used in a case of catarrh complicated with dyspepsia, in hysterical 

 affections (in the latter case combined with a small quantity of lauda- 

 num), in cholera infantum, and as a remedy for worms. In a persistent 

 case of remittent fever it was found more efficacious than Peruvian 

 bark." 



ORDER TILIACEJE LINDEN FAMILY. 



Leaves simple, stipulate, alternate, dentate. Flowers polypetalous, or rarely 

 apetalous, axillary, hypogenous, usually perfect and polyadelphous; sepals 4-5, decidu- 

 ous, valvate in the bud; petals 4-5 imbricated in the bud; stamens numerous and 

 with versatile anthers; ovary of 2-10 united carpels; styles united and stigmas as 

 many as the carpels. Fruit dry or succulent, many celled, or, by abortion, 1 -celled, 

 each cell bearing from one to several seeds. 



Represented by trees, rarely shrubs or herbs. 



GENUS TILIA, L. 



Leaves more or less heart-shaped and oblique, serrate; stipules deciduous. Flowers 

 cream color, in small cymes, hanging on an axillary peduncle, which is adnate to the 

 vein of a large, leaf -like bract; sepals 5, united, colored; petals 5, spatulate-oblong; 

 stamens numerous, the filaments cohering in clusters, and with each cluster in the 

 American species is a spatulate, petal-like scale, placed opposite each of the real 

 petals; ovary superior, 5-celled with 2 ovules in each cell; style single, stigma 

 5-toothed. Fruit a globose and rather woody nut, 1-celled by abortion and 

 1-2-seeded. In the dissemination of these, the leaf-like bract, described above, acts 

 as a parachute. 



Trees. (" Tilia " is the ancient Latin name of the Linden.) 



3. TILIA AMERICANA, L. 



BASSWOOD, AMERICAN LINDEN OR LIN, LIME-TREE, BEE-TREE. 



Ger., Amerikanisclie Linde; Fr., Tilleul d' Amerique; Sp., Tilio 



Americano. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves large, 3-5 in. (8-13 cm.) or more in length and about 

 as broad, more or less heart shaped and unequal at the base, serrate, pointed, green 

 on both sides and glabrous or nearly so. Flowers cream-color, richly fragrant and 

 honey-bearing, each flower having interior to its petals and opposite them, five petal- 

 like bodies, at the bases of which are the stamens arranged in clusters or tufts. 



A large and important forest tree in the Northern and Middle States, 

 growing in loose, rich soil, and often attaining the dimensions of 80 ft. 

 (24 m.) or more in height and 4 ft. (1.22 m.) in thickness of trunk near 

 the base. When growing in open fields, the top develops symmetrically 

 and to a large size. 



