TILIACEtE— 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 lbs. 

 " '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. 



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