Southern Basswood 



685 



them to within 10 or 15 mm. of the base; they are 10 to 16 cm. long and i to 3 

 cm, wide, tapering at the base, blunt at the 

 apex and smooth ; there are 5 to 20 flowers 

 in each cluster. The sepals are ovate-lanceo- 

 late to lanceolate, 6 to 8 mm. long, some- 

 what shorter than the wedge-shaped blunt 

 pale yellow petals, which are about as long 

 as the spatulate staminodes. The ovary is 

 woolly and ripens into an ovoid fruit 10 to 

 12 mm. long, often tipped by the base of the 

 style; the broadly ovoid seed is about 5 mm. 

 long. 



The wood is soft, quite tough, close- 

 grained, light brown or reddish, with a spe- 

 cific gravity of about 0.45. It is largely used 

 in general carpentry, for furniture, carriages, 

 woodenware, and in great quantities for paper 

 pulp. The tree blossoms in May or June ; it 

 is one of the best ornamental trees for plant- 

 ing in the northern States, its freedom from insect pests, handsome fohage, and 

 large and fragrant flowers making it more desirable than the European Lindens. 



Fig. 635. American Linden. 



2. SOUTHERN BASSWOOD Tilia austraUs Small 



This medium-sized linden attains a height of 20 meters and a trunk diameter 

 of 2.5 dm. It is little known outside of the type locahty in north central Alabama, 



where it occurs in the higher 

 valleys, particularly in Blount 

 county. 



The twigs are rather slen- 

 der, reddish brown, becoming 

 darker and rougher with age. 

 The winter buds are small and 

 ovoid. The leaves are thin 

 but firm, ovate to oval-ovate, 

 7 to 17 cm. long, obliquely 

 heart-shaped to nearly tmn- 

 cate at the base, abruptly 

 taper- pointed, serrate, the 

 teeth tipped with prominent 

 glands; the upper surface is 

 deep green and somewhat 

 Fig. 636. Southern Basswood. glossy, the under side glaucous 



