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their own. In winter the tree is especially beautiful. 

 Then the clear, sharp, crystaline living sunshine brings 

 out all the silver of its bark and makes a wonder 

 work in light and shade of its organ-like branches 

 and slender twigs. Come upon it on one of our 

 sparkling mid-winter days ; then it is a veritable blaze 

 of steel, and your eye will rove over its beauty with 

 a joy as keen as the play of the sunshine itself. In 

 foliage, the silver linden may be known by its heart- 

 shaped leaves, unequally sided, glossy and shining 

 green above and silvery white on the undersides. 

 Its flowers, which break out usually in June, are in 

 clusters from leafy bracts with the petals set open so 

 widely (when fully blown) as to appear almost star- 

 like. These flowers of the European silver linden 

 are especially interesting from the presence of the 

 petaloid scale at the base of its petals. This scale is 

 not present in the common European linden (T. Euro- 

 pcea). The flowers break out in June and are very 

 fragrant. These are succeeded by ovoid fruits which 

 are distinctly five-angled or ribbed. This ribbed fruit 

 is noticeably different from that of our own basswood, 

 whose fruit is large, round and very woolly or pubes- 

 cent. Truly the European silver linden is an elegant 

 tree, handsome in bark and form and foliage, and when 

 its rich leaves are turning to the caress of summer 

 zephyrs, how beautiful are those sudden bursts of 

 silver that drift through their deep green. 



On the left of the Walk here, almost directly op- 

 posite the purple beeches, you will find spicebush. You 

 will do well to see the shrub in spring. When the 



