TILIACE^E LINDEN FAMILY 



LINDEN. BASSWOOD. LIME-TREE 



Tilia americana. 



Tilia is the ancient classical name retained by Linnaeus. Bass- 

 wood alludes to the use of the inner bark for mats and cordage. 



A native of rich woods in the northern states and Canada, reaches 

 its greatest size in the valley of the lower Ohio, becoming one hun- 

 dred and thirty feet in height, but its usual height is about seventy 

 feet. The trunk is erect, pillar-like, the branches spreading, often 

 pendulous, forming a broad rounded head. Roots large, deep, and 

 spreading. Juices mucilaginous. 



Bark. Light brown, furrowed, surface scaly. Branchlets terete, 

 smooth, light gray, faintly tinged with red, finally dark brown or 

 brownish gray, marked with dark wart-like excrescences. Inner 

 bark very tough and fibrous. 



Wood. Pale brown, sometimes nearly white or faintly tinged with 

 red ; light, soft with fine close grain ; clear of knots but does not 

 split easily. It is sold generally under the name of basswood, but 

 is sometimes confounded with tulip-wood and then called white- 

 wood, and is largely used in the manufacture of wooden-ware, wagon 

 boxes and furniture. Sp. gr., 0.4525 ; weight of cu. ft., 28.20 Ibs. 



Winter Buds. Dark red, stout, ovate, acute, smooth. 



Leaves. Alternate, simple, feather - veined, obliquely heart- 

 shaped, the side nearest the branch the largest, five to six inches 

 long, three to four inches broad, unequally cordate at base, serrate, 

 acuminate at apex ; midrib and primary veins conspicuous. They 

 come out of the bud conduplicate, pale green, downy ; when full 

 grown are dark green, smooth, shining above, paler beneath, with 

 tufts of rusty brown hairs in the axils of the primary veins. In 

 autumn they turn a clear pale yellow. Petioles long, slender. Stipules 

 caducous. 



34 



