LINDEN FAMILY. 91 



M. verticillata, Linn. (Sometimes called M. ODOR\TA.) Cult, from 

 Cape of Good Hope, in conservatories, producing a succession of honey- 

 yellow, sweet-scented small blossoms, on slender peduncles, all winter and 

 spring ; a sort of woody perennial, with slender and spreading or hang- 

 ing roughish branches and small irregularly pinnatifid leaves ; the specific 

 name given because the leaves seem to be whorled ; but this is because 

 the stipules, which are cut into several linear divisions, imitate leaves. 



XXIII. TILIACE^l, LINDEN FAMILY. 



Trees (rarely herbs) with, the mucilaginous properties, 

 fibrous bark, valvate calyx, etc., as in the Mallow Family ; but 

 sepals deciduous ; petals imbricated ; stamens in several clus- 

 ters, and anthers 2-celled. Chiefly a tropical family, repre- 

 sented here only by an herbaceous COBCHORUS on our 

 southernmost borders, and by the genus of fine trees which 

 gives the name : 



1. TILIA, LINDEN, BEE TREE, BASSWOOD. (The old Latin 

 name.) Sepals 5; petals 5, spatulate-oblong. Stamens numerous; 

 their filaments cohering in 5 clusters or with a petal-like body before 

 the true petal. Ovary 5-celled with 2 ovules in each cell ; fruit rather 

 woody, globular, 1-2-seeded. Style 1 . Stigma 5-toothed. Trees with 

 tough inner bark (bast), soft white wood, alternate roundish and serrate 

 leaves more or less heart-shaped, and commonly oblique at the base, 

 deciduous stipules, and a cyme of small, dull cream-colored, honey- 

 bearing flowers, borne in early summer on a nodding axillary peduncle 

 which is united to a long and narrow leaf-like bract. (Lessons, Figs. 

 181, 277, 289, 414.) 



* Stamens united with a petaloid body. 

 t- Fruit even, not ribbed or lobed; native species. 

 T. Americana, Linn. Large leaves of rather firm texture and smooth 



or smoothish both sides ; bract tapering at base ; fruit oval. N. B. to N. 



Dak., S. to Ga. The common species. 

 T. pub^scens, Ait. Under side of the leaves and the young shoots 



covered with reddish pubescence ; bract rounded at base ; fruit globular. 



N. Y. to Fla., W. to Tex. 

 T. heterophylla, Vent. Leaves smooth and bright green above, 



silvery white with a fine down underneath ; bract tapering at base ; fruit 



globose. Penn., S. and W. 



H- M- Fruit ribbed or lobed; planted, from Eu. 



T. argentea, DC. SILVER LINDEN. Leaves smooth above, white- 

 downy beneath, 2-4 times as long as the petiole ; fruit ovoid, acute, 5- 

 ribbed, or angled. Many forms. Commonly known as T. ALBA. 

 * * Stamens not attached to petaloid scales. Natives of Eu. 



T. Europoea, Linn. EUROPEAN L. Glabrous except for tufts of pale 

 hairs in the axils of veins on the under side of leaves ; fruit oval or nearly 

 round, densely tomentose. 



T. dasystyla, Stev., with dark green shining leaves, fruit obovoid, 

 prominently 5-ribbed, is beginning to be planted. 



