CHAP. XVIII. 



TILIA^CE^. n'LIA. 



373 



passed into other nurseries, and lias since been rather extensively cultivated, 

 though not so much so as it deserves from its very striking appearance. Twelve 

 years after it was introduced into England, we are informed in the Nouveau Du 

 Haviel, printed in the time of the French Republic, that " the citizens Thouin 

 and Cels received some plants from Kew, and propagated them with success; 

 the former in the garden of the Museum, and the other in his nursery at 

 Arcueil. Some of these plants grew with such vigour, that, in the 6th and 7th 

 years of the Republic, citizen Thouin sowed their seeds, and raised several 

 young plants from them." The tree alluded to in the Paris Garden is now. 

 according to the Return Paper sent to us by Professor Mirbel, 55 ft. high, and 

 its branches cover a space of 63 ft, in diameter. It is propagated in the same 

 manner as the common species, and requires a similar soil and situation; 

 When first introduced, it was propagated by grafting on T. e. platyphyllaj and 

 this is still the practice in some nurseries, especially in Continental ones. 



Statistics. There is a good specimen of the white lime in the Kew arboi'etum, 

 and a fine tree at Walton upon Thames, 60 ft. high. There are also a great 

 many at High Clere, in Berkshire, some of which, in 36 years, have attained 

 the height of .60 ft., with diameters of from 1 ft. 6 in. to 2 ft., on a retentive 

 shallow soil on chalk. There are some good specimens at Deepdene, also on 

 chalk. One at Croome, in Worcestershire, only 30 years planted, on a loamy 

 soil, has attained the height of 50 ft., with a trunk 2 ft. in diameter. One in 

 the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, 35 years planted, is 35 ft. high ; and, in the 

 principal botanic gardens on the Continent, there are trees of from 30 ft. to 50 ft. 

 in height. Plants, in the London nurseries, cost 2^. each ; at Bollwyller, 1 

 franc 50 cents ; at New York, ?. 



^ T. a. peliolclris Dec, the \ox\g-petwled-\es.yeA Lime Tree, described by De CandoUe 



from dried specimens without flower or fruit, is, probably, only a variety of 7". alba. 'He has placed 

 it ill one of two sections in which the species have the petals each with a scale at its base, inside. It 

 is said to have leaves cordate, acuminated, twice the length of the petioles, serrated, smooth above, 

 but white beneath from close-pressed down. It is said to be cultivated in the gardens of Ode.ssa, but 

 has not yet been introduced into England. Steven has stated {Nouv. Mem. de la Soc. Imp. des Nat de 

 il/tii'co«," tome iii. p. 104.), that T. petiolJiris JDsc. certainly belongs to T. argentea [_T. e. &lba] ; for 

 the length of the petioles varies often upon the same branch, not only in this, but in all species of 

 Tilia; wherefore Sprengel has judiciously omitted it from his Systema. 



^ 3. T. AMERiCA^NA L. The American Lime Tree. 



Identificalion. Liii Sp., 733. ; Hort. Kew. ; Willd. Spec. 



Synonymes. 71 glabra, /'eni. ; T. caroIiniJina Wangenh. ; T. csx\&Aens,\s Mickaux ; T. g\khra. Dec, 

 Hayne's Dendr., and Bon's Mill. ; the smooth-leaved, or black. Lime Tree, and Bass Wood, Amer. 

 Engravings. Vent. Diss., t. 2. ; Wats. Dendr. Brit., 1. 131. ; and our plate in Vol. II. 



Spec. Char. Petals each with a scale at the base, inside. Leaves profoundly 

 cordate, abruptly acuminate, sharply serrated, somewhat coriaceous, smooth. 

 Petals truncate and crenate at the apex, equal in length to the style. Fruit 

 ovate, somewhat ribbed. {Don^s Mill., i. p. 553.) Canada. Yeilowish- 

 white flowers. July and August. 1752. On a gejieral view of the trees, 

 the most obvious external differential characteristics of the European and 

 American limes appear to us to be, that the former have regularly cordate, 

 and the latter obliquely cordate, leaves. The other American limes we 

 consider to be nothing more than varieties of this species. 

 Description. The American lime, in its native country, attains the height of 

 80 ft. or upwards, with a straight uniform trunk, having an ample finely tufted 

 summit. In England, there are some specimens of from 50 ft. to 60 ft, in 

 height : in summer, these are readily distinguished from the European limes 

 by the largeness of the leaves, which are heart-shaped, acutely pointed, deep 

 green and glabrous on their upper sides, and pale green beneath. Some of 

 the leaves have a tendency to be slightly pubescent; but they are generally 

 smooth and shining. The flowers, which are large, appear, in Canada, in June 

 and July; but, in England, not till the end of July, or the beginning of August, 

 when those of the common sort are decaying. In winter, this species is 

 readily recognised by the robust appearance of the trunk and branches, and 

 by the dark-brown colour of the bark on the young shoots. This circumstance 

 alone is a very marked distinction ; and has, no doubt, procured for the spe- 

 cies the name of the black lime tree. The largest tree, that we know of, of this 



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