99 
Order LXXV. TILIACEiE. The Linden Tribe. 
TiLiACEiE, Juss. Gen. 290. (1789) in part.; Kunth. Malv. Diss. p. 14. (1822) ; DC. Prodr. 
1. 503. (1824); Lindl. Coll. p. 54. (1829). 
Essential Character. — Sepals 4 or 5, with a valvular aestivation, usually with no 
involucre. Petals 4 or 6, entire, usually with a little pit at their base ; very seldom want- 
ing ; most commonly the size of the sepals. Stamens generally indefinite, hypogynous, 
distinct ; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing longitudinally ; in Sparmannia the outer stamens are 
barren. Disk formed of glands, equal in number to the petals, at the base of which they 
are placed, adhering to the stalk of the ovary. Ovary single, composed of from 4 to 10 
carpels ; style one ; stigmas as many as the carpels. Fruit dry, of several cells. Seeds 
numerous ; embryo erect in the axis of fieshy albumen, with fiat foliaceous cotyledons . — 
Trees or shrubs, very seldom herbaceous plants. Leaves simple, stipulate, toothed, alternate. 
Flowers axillary. 
Anomalies. Petals sometimes absent. Diplophractum is remarkable for having an 
extremely anomalous fruit, with several spurious cells, and with the placentae apparently 
in the circumference instead of the axis. Apeiba has sometimes as many as 24 cells in the 
fruit. Brown notices the existence of an African genus of this order (Christiania, DC.), 
remarkable in having a calyx of 3 lobes, while its corolla consists of 5 petals ; the fruit 
composed of 5 single-seeded capsules, connected only at the base. Cong. 428. 
Affinities. These resemble Sterculiacese, Malvacese, and the orders allied 
to them, in most respects, and especially in the valvate sestivation of their 
calyx. They are known by their glandular disk and distinct stamens, with 
2-celled anthers. 
Geography. The principal part of the order is found within the tropics 
all over the world, forming mean weed-like plants, or shrubs, or trees, with 
handsome, usually white or pink, flowers. A small number is peculiar to the 
northern parts of either hemisphere, where they form timber- trees. 
Properties. They have all a mucilaginous, wholesome juice. The leaves 
of Corchorus olitorius are used in Egypt as a pot-herb. The berries of some 
of them are succulent and eatable. The species are more remarkable for 
the toughness of the fibres of their inner bark, which are used for various 
economical purposes. Fishing lines and nets, rice bags or gunny, and a coarse 
kind of hnen called tat, are made in India of Corchorus capsularis ; and the 
Russian mats of commerce are manufactured from the Tilia. The bark of 
Luhea paniculata is used in Brazil for tanning leather. The wood of Luhea 
divaricata, which is white and light, but very close grained, makes good 
musket-stocks, and wooden soles for shoes. The Brazilians call all such 
Acoita cavallos, because the sticks they use for driving their cattle are obtained 
from them. PI. Us. 66. The flowers of Tilia, separated from the bracts, are 
used in infusion, according to Host (FI. Austr. 2. 63), with much success in 
vertigo and spasms ; they promote perspiration and alleviate coughs. But if 
the bracts and fruits are mixed with the flowers, the infusion then becomes 
astringent, and conflnes the bowels. Some species of Grewia, as G. sapida, 
asiatica, &c. yield pleasant, acid berries much used in the manufacture of 
sherbet. The wood of Grewia elastica, called dhamnoo, affords timber highly 
valued for its strength and elasticity, and, therefore, much used for bows, the 
shafts of carriages, &c. Royle. The excellent light timber called Trincomalee 
wood, employed in the construction of the excellent Massoola boats of Madras, 
is furnished by Berrya Ammonilla. Id. 
GENERA. 
Sparmannia, Th. 
Heliocarpus, L. 
Montia, Houst. 
Entelea, R. Br. 
Antichorus, L. 
Carrichtera, Scop. 
Corchorus, L. 
Honckenya, W. 
Triumfetta, L. 
Bartramia, Gsertn. 
Porpa, Blume. 
Grewia, L. 
Microcos, L. 
Mallococca, Forst, 
Chadara, Forsk. 
