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Petala 5, subspathulata, calyce 5-sepalo longiore, æstivatione imbricata seu convolutivo-imbricata. Stamina plurima 5-adelpha, nempe in phalanges 5 cum staminodiis petaloideis totidem petalis oppositas connata, vel discretis staminodiis nullis. Ovarium 5-loculare; loculis 2-ovulatis. Nux septis obliteratis unilocularis, 1–2-sperma — Arbores, foliis cordatis; pedunculo plurifloro bractea ligulata inferne adnato.
TILIA, Tourn. Linn. Gen. 606. Gærtn. Fr. 2. t.
113. Venten. Mon. in Mem. Inst. 1802. t. 1–5. Michx. f. Sylv. t.
131–133. Spach. in Ann. Sci. Nat. 2. ser. 2. p. 331. t. 15. Endl. Gen.
5373
Linden. Lime-tree. Basswood.
CALYX of five lanceolate or oblong SEPALS, valvate in æstivation, rather coriaceous, deciduous. PETALS 5, alternate with the sepals, hypogynous, oblong-spatulate, quincuncially imbricated, or convolute with one petal exterior, or sometimes with one wholly interior, in æstivation, deciduous. STAMENS indefinite, inserted on a short hypogynous torus: FILAMENTS filiform, distinct of nearly so, or (in the American species) collected into five phalanges and more or less united at the base with each other and with a hypogynous petaloid scale (staminodium), which stand before each petal and resembles it, except in its smaller size: ANTHERS fixed by the middle, extrorse, two-celled; the oblong cells separate, or often disjoined by the forking of the filament, opening longitudinally on the outside. POLLEN smooth, simple. OVARY ovoid, five-celled, the cells opposite the sepals: STYLE columnar, five-toothed at the dilated apex, the lobes introrsely stigmatose. OVULES 2 in each cell, peritropous-ascending from the middle of its inner angle, almost collateral, between amphitropous and anatropous, the micropyle centripetal-inferior.
FRUIT nut-like, woody-coriaceous, globular or ovoid, sometimes five-ribbed, indehiscent, one-celled by the obliteration of the dissepiments, one–two-seeded. SEED obovate, semi-anatropous, ascending; the testa cartilaginous. EMBRYO in the axis of dense fleshy albumen, large: COTYLEDONS foliaceous, reniform or cordate, palmately five-veined and five-lobed, somewhat plaited in the middle, revolute in the direction contrary to the hilum: RADICLE nearly straight, inferior.
TREES, with the alternate and two-ranked ample leaves usually obliquely cordate or truncate at the base, petioled, acuminate, serrate, and with membranaceous caducous stipules. Peduncles axillary, connate to the middle with the axis of a large membranaceous and somewhat colored veiny ligulate bract, ebracteolate, terminated by a cyme of few or many yellowish or whitish flowers.
ETYMOLOGY. The classical Latin name of the genus
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION &c. The known Lindens, about a dozen in number, and not very distinctly characterised, are about equally divided between the temperate region of the Old World (Europe and Northwestern Asia) and Eastern North America [1]. Being timber-trees, they are restricted to our forest-region, and it seems to not again appear on the Western side of our continent. One is known from the elevated parts of Mexico. The American species all have the stamens in five clusters about as many petal-like organs; while the European, except one Hungarian species, are destitute of this organ, and their stamens are distinct of obscurely pentadelphous.
[1] There are more species in Europe and the Caucasus than in North America, but the greatest diversity is to be found in temperate Eastern Asia.
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