Leaves broad-ovate, abruptly acuminate at apex, cordate or unsymmetrically cordate or obliquely truncate or cordate at base, coarsely serrate with gland-tipped teeth pointing forward, covered when they unfold with pale tomentum, soon becoming pubescent, and glabrous before the flowers open, dark yellow-green on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface, 4′—4¾′ long and broad, with a prominent pale yellow midrib slightly villose on the upper side near the base, and 9 or 10 pairs of remote primary veins without axillary tufts and connected by conspicuous cross veinlets; petioles stout, glabrous, 1¾′—2′ in length. Flowers opening early in July, ⅓′ long, on slightly pubescent pedicels, in broad slender-branched nearly glabrous cymes; peduncle stout, glabrous, red, the free portion 1′—1½′ in length, its bract oblong to slightly obovate, gradually narrowed and rounded at base, rounded at apex, glabrous on the upper surface, pubescent below on the midrib and veins, 3½′—6′ long and 1¼′—1½′ wide, longer than the peduncle and decurrent nearly to its base or to within 1′—1½′ of its base; sepals ovate, acute, pale pubescent on the outer surface, villose and furnished at base on the inner surface with a tuft of long white hairs, a third shorter than the lanceolate acuminate petals; staminodia oblong-obovate, rounded at apex, about as long as the sepals; stigma slightly villose at base. Fruit ripening the end of September, subglobose, ¼′—⅓′ in diameter, covered with loose light brown pubescence.
A tree, 60°—75° high, with stout red glabrous branchlets. Winter-buds ovoid, cylindric, obtusely pointed, dark red, ¼′—⅓′ in length.
Distribution. North Carolina, rocky “coves” in rich soil, Hickory Nut Gap, in the Blue Ridge, and near Saluda, Polk County, passing into var. multinervis Sarg., differing from the type in its obliquely truncate, not cordate, leaves with 12 or 13 pairs of more crowded primary veins, ellipsoid fruit, slender branchlets, and smaller winter-buds; a single tree near Saluda, Polk County.
4. [Tilia littoralis] Sarg.
Leaves ovate, abruptly short-pointed and acute or acuminate at apex, unsymmetric and rounded on one side and cuneate on the other, or symmetric and cuneate or oblique and truncate at base, and finely serrate with straight or incurved glandular teeth, covered above when they unfold with scattered fascicled hairs and tomentose below, soon glabrous, and when the flowers open, thin, yellow-green, paler, rarely glaucous (var. discolor Sarg.) on the lower than on the upper surface, 3′—4′ long and 1¾′—2′ wide, with a slender midrib and primary veins and small conspicuous tufts of rusty brown axillary hairs; petioles slender, glabrous, 1′—1½′ in length; leaves on young vigorous shoots broad-ovate, truncate or slightly cordate at base, more coarsely serrate, pubescent with fascicled hairs especially on the midrib and veins, 4′—5′ long and 3′—4′ wide; petioles densely pubescent. Flowers opening the middle of June, ⅓′ long, on pale tomentose pedicels, in small, compact, mostly 9—15-flowered, pubescent cymes; peduncle covered with scattered fascicled hairs, the free portion ⅗′—1′ long, its bract gradually narrowed and cuneate at base, rounded at apex, ciliate on the margins, pubescent on the midrib, otherwise glabrous, 2′—7′ long, ¼′—⅖′ wide, longer or shorter than and decurrent to the base or nearly to the base of the peduncle; sepals acuminate, pale pubescent on the outer surface, villose on the inner surface along the margins and at the base with long white hairs; petals acuminate; staminodia oblong-obovate, rounded at apex. Fruit ellipsoid to depressed-globose, apiculate, covered with pale brown tomentum, ¼′—⅓′ in diameter.
A tree with slender glabrous branchlets densely coated when they first appear with pale pubescence, soon glabrous, light reddish brown during their first summer, often bright red during their first winter, becoming purple the following year and ultimately light gray-brown. Winter-buds ovoid, glabrous or puberulous, bright red, about ⅕′ long and 1/12′—⅛′ in diameter.
Distribution. Georgia, shore of Colonel’s Island near the mouths of the North Newport and Medway Rivers, near Durham, Liberty County; the var. discolor with the type
5. [Tilia crenoserrata] Sarg.
Tilia floridana Sarg., not Small.