Tilia 1 68 1 



TILIA OLIVERI 



Tilia Olivert, Szyszylowicz, in Hooker, Icon. Plant, ad t. 1927 (1890); Schneider, Laubholzkunde, 



ii. 387 (1909); V. Engler, Mo7iog. Gatt. Tilia, 114 (1909). 

 Tilia pendula, V. Engler, ex Schneider, Laubholzkunde, ii. 387 (1909), and Monog. Gatt. Tilia, 



113 (1909). 

 Tilia mandshurica, Szyszylowicz, in Hooker, Icon. Plant, ad t. 1927 (1890) (not Ruprecht and 



Maximowicz). 



A tree, attaining in western China about 50 ft. in height. Young branchlets 

 glabrous. Leaves variable in size, usually longer than broad, averaging 3 to 4 in. 

 in length and 2\ to 3^ in. in breadth, orbicular-ovate, cordate at the base, cuspidate 

 at the apex ; margin regularly serrate, with shallow sinuses between the crenate 

 teeth, which are very short and end in cartilaginous points ; upper surface dark 

 green, glabrous ; lower surface covered with a dense white thin tomentum, without 

 axil-tufts ; petiole glabrous, one-half to three-fourths the length of the blade. 



Cymes usually much longer than the leaves, each with about twenty flowers, 

 which are similar to those of T. tomentosa, but are smaller in size and on short 

 thickened pedicels. Fruit globose, grey tomentose and tuberculate on the surface, 

 thick-shelled, apiculate, \ in. in diameter. 



This species, which promises to be a beautiful ornamental tree, is readily 

 distinguished from the other limes with a pure white under surface to the leaves, by 

 the glabrous branchlets and petioles, and the crenately serrate orbicular leaves. 



This species is a native of central China, where it was discovered by me in 

 1888, in the mountains north of the Yangtze, in the Fang and Wushan districts of 

 Hupeh. 71 Oliveri was founded by Szyszylowicz on a branch (Henry, No. 7089) 

 from a small shrubby tree, growing in a sunny exposure on high cliffs, and bearing 

 in consequence small leaves, averaging 2 in, in length. Another specimen (Henry, 

 No. 7452 b), gathered by me at no great distance, but in a shaded valley, bore leaves 

 averaging i\ i"- '" length, and was identified by Szyszylowicz with T. mandshurica, 

 which is a native of northern China. This specimen has been made the type of a 

 new species, T. pendula, V. Engler. A third specimen, collected since by Wilson 

 (No. 2274), with leaves intermediate in size, is considered by Schneider to be 

 T. pendula, but by Engler to be T. Oliveri. A careful examination of the whole 

 material shows that all the specimens belong to one species. 



T. Oliveri was introduced by Wilson, who sent seed from central China in 

 1900. It is now growing vigorously at Coombe Wood, and a small specimen is 

 thriving at Kew. \^' "•) 



