TILIÀCEAE. The Linden Family.
Trees with medium sized twigs; leaves alternate, mostly taper-pointed, oblique cordate or truncate at the base, serrate; flowers in axillary or terminal cymes, white or yellow, fragrant, peduncles of the cymes with a leaf-like bract adhering to about half their length; fruit nut-like, woody, 1-celled.
| Leaves smooth or nearly so beneath | [1 T. glabra.] |
| Leaves densely white or gray pubescent beneath | [2 T. heterophylla.] |
1. Tilia glàbra Ventenat (Tilia americana Linnæus of authors). Linn. Basswood. [Plate 118.] Medium to large sized trees with deeply furrowed bark, much resembling that of white ash or black walnut; twigs when chewed somewhat mucilaginous, usually somewhat zigzag; leaves on petioles 2-6 cm. long, blades ovate to nearly orbicular, 5-15 cm. long, short or long acuminate at the apex, margins more or less coarsely or finely serrate with teeth attenuate and ending in a gland, dark green and smooth above, a lighter green and generally smooth beneath at maturity except tufts of hairs in the axils of the principal veins, or sometimes with a scanty pubescence of simple or stellate hairs beneath; flowers appear in June or July, when the leaves are almost mature; bracts of the peduncles very variable, generally about 8-10 cm. long, rounded, or tapering at the base, obtuse or rounded at the apex, smooth both above and beneath at maturity; peduncles from very short up to 6 cm. in length; pedicels of flowers variable in length on the same and on different trees, generally about one cm. long; styles pubescent near the base on all of the specimens at hand; fruit woolly, globose or somewhat ellipsoidal, generally about 6 mm. in diameter.
Distribution.—New Brunswick to Manitoba, south to Georgia and west to Texas. More or less frequent to common in rich moist soil in all parts of Indiana. It is the most frequent and common in the lake area of the State but was almost as frequent and common throughout the central part of the State until the hilly area is reached where its habitat disappears for the greater part. In the hill area it is confined to the basins of streams, although sometimes found on the high rocky bluffs of streams. Rare or absent in the flats. In most of its area it is associated with white ash, slippery elm, beech, maple, shellbark hickory, etc.
Remarks.—Wood soft, light, straight and close-grained, white and seasons well. On account of its softness and lightness it has always been a favorite wood where these two factors were important considerations. Is practically odorless, hence, is a desirable wood to contain food products. Its principal uses are lumber, heading, excelsior and veneer. The supply of this species in Indiana is now practically exhausted.