1 686 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



wide This lime coppices freely, and on shoots so produced the foliage is always 

 enormous, reaching a maximum of lo in. in diameter. This variation is due in 

 part to the amount of nutrition available, which is greatest on coppice shoots 

 owing to their extensive root system ; but the size of the leaves is also much 

 influenced by shade. Trees with large leaves are often known in gardens as var. 

 mississippiensis, but this name is erroneous, as there is no reason to suppose that 

 such trees are limited to the Mississippi basin. , , • •, i 



Tilia americana, since its introduction into Europe, has given rise to hybrids 

 with other species, especially with T. tomentosa, which is probably the other parent 



in the following : — 



I Tilia Moltkei, Schneider, Laubholzkunde, ii. 381 (1909)- 

 A tree with leaves similar in shape and serrations to those of T. americana, 

 but larger, 6 in. to 7 in. long and 5 in. to 6 in. wide, and differing in the lower 

 surface, which is pale or greyish green, more or less covered with scattered stellate 

 pubescence, without axil -tufts, but with occasional long hairs on the midrib. 

 Buds, petioles, and branchlets glabrous, and identical with those of T. americana. 



This tree, which is remarkable for its vigorous growth and handsome foliage, 

 originated^ in Spath's nursery at Berlin, and is named after the famous general, who 

 planted a young tree in front of Herr Spath's house in 1888. Specimens are 

 growing at Kew and Aldenham. 



2. Tilia spectabilis, Dippel, Laubholzkunde, iii. 73 (1893). 



A tree resembling T. Moltkei in the shape, colour, and serration of the leaves, 

 but differing as follows :— Young branchlets apparently glabrous, but showing traces 

 of stellate pubescence. Buds pubescent in their upper half. Leaves (Plate 407, 

 Fig. 11), variable in size, 4 in. to 6 in. long and 3 in. to 5 in. wide; under surface 

 with scattered stellate pubescence, very variable in amount,^ and with long hairs on 

 the principal nerves as well as on the midrib, but without axil-tufts ; petiole glabrous 

 or with a few scattered hairs. The flowers are intermediate in character between those 

 of T. americana and T. tomentosa, and open at Kew three weeks earlier than those of 

 the latter species. The stellate pubescence on the bract, peduncle and pedicels is 

 like that of T tomentosa, but less in amount. The shape of the bract and the size of 

 the flowers are similar to T. americana. 



This tree has probably been long in cultivation, but I have not been able to 

 trace its origin.* It is often planted in botanic gardens, as at Kew, where there are 

 several specimens, one nearly 40 ft. in height.* At Cambridge a tree, about 35 ft. 

 by 3I ft. in 1907, has long been labelled T. heterophylla ; and reputed trees of the 

 latter species usually turn out to be either T. spectabilis or T. Michauxii. 



1 In America it probably forms hybrids with T. heterophylla. See T. Michauxii, p. 1689. 



2 It is mentioned as a new plant, Tilia americana Moltkei, in Spath's Catalogtie, No. 57, p. 71 (1883). 



3 In cases where the stellate pubescence on the under surface of the leaves becomes dense and greyish, trees of T, 

 spectabilis are often confused with T. tomentosa and T. Michauxii. They are readily distinguishable from the latter by the 

 absence of axil-tufts, and from the former by the glabrous branchlets. The long hairs on the midrib and nerves seem to be 

 peculiar to T. spectabilis and T. Moltkei. 



^ Dippel found it in 1893 in Froebel's nursery under the name T. alba spectabilis, and in the Zoeschen arboretum as 

 T. Blechiana; but it must have originated much earlier. Cf. ante, p. 1678, note 5. 

 5 This tree has been labelled T. argentea, and resembles T. tomentosa in habit. 



