Tilia
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tilia | |||||||||||||
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 Tilia platyphyllos
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| About 30; see text
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Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees in the Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest species diversity is found), Europe and eastern North America; it is absent from western North America.
The trees are generally called linden in North America, and lime in Britain. Both names are derived from the Germanic root lind. The modern forms in English derive from linde or linne in Anglo Saxon and old Norse, and in Britain the word transformed more recently to the modern British form lime. In the United States, the modern German name Linde, from the same root, became more common, partly to avoid confusion with any other uses of the name.
Tilia species are large deciduous trees, reaching typically 20-40m tall, and are found through the north temperate regions.
[edit] Species
- Tilia americana Basswood or American Linden
- Tilia amurensis Amur Lime or Amur Linden
- Tilia begoniifolia
- Tilia caroliniana Carolina Basswood
- Tilia chinensis
- Tilia chingiana
- Tilia cordata Small-leaved Lime or Little-leaf Linden
- Tilia mongolica Mongolian Lime or Mongolian Linden
- Tilia dasystyla
- Tilia henryana Henry's Lime or Henry's Linden
- Tilia heterophylla White Basswood
- Tilia insularis
- Tilia intonsa
- Tilia japonica Japanese Lime
- Tilia kiusiana
- Tilia mandshurica Manchurian Lime
- Tilia maximowicziana
- Tilia mexicana
- Tilia miqueliana
- Tilia mongolica Mongolian Lime or Mongolian Linden
- Tilia nobilis
- Tilia occidentalis - West lime
- Tilia oliveri Oliver's Lime
- Tilia paucicostata
- Tilia platyphyllos Large-leaved Lime
- Tilia rubra - Kafkas lime
- Tilia tomentosa Silver Lime or Silver Linden
- Tilia tuan
[edit] Hybrids and cultivars
- Tilia × euchlora (T. dasystyla × T. platyphyllos)
- Tilia × europaea Common Lime (T. cordata × T. platyphyllos; syn. T. × vulgaris)
- Tilia × petiolaris (T. tomentosa × T. ?)
- Tilia 'Flavescens' (T. americana × T. cordata)
- Tilia 'Moltkei' (hybrid, unknown origin)
- Tilia 'Orbicularis' (hybrid, unknown origin)
- Tilia 'Spectabilis' (hybrid, unknown origin)
[edit] Uses
The tree produces fragrant and nectar-producing flowers, the medicinal herb lime blossom. They are very important honey plants for beekeepers, producing a very pale but richly flavoured monofloral honey. The flowers are also used for herbal tea, and this infusion is particularly popular in Europe.
