Tilia platyphyllos
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| Large-leaved Lime | ||||||||||||||
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| Missing image Tilia_platyphyllos(01).jpg Tilia platyphyllos Large-leaved Lime (Tilia platyphyllos) | ||||||||||||||
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The Large-leaved Linden is a deciduous tree (Tilia platyphyllos) native to much of Europe, including locally in southwestern Britain, growing on lime-rich soils. It has been introduced in the U.S.A. (New England). The name Large-leaved Linden is in standard use throughout the English-speaking world except in Britain, where it has largely (but not universally) been replaced by the name Large-leaved Lime. This tree is frequently planted as an ornamental tree in parks, or as a shade tree or a lawn tree.
The Large-leaved Linden is a narrowly domed tree. It has a moderate growth rate, and can eventually attain a height of 40 m. The reddish-brown stem shows a dark gray bark with fine fissures and furrows. The branches spread upwards at narrow angles. The twigs are reddish-green and slightly pubescent.
Tilia_platyphyllos(02).jpg
The foliage consists of simple, alternately arranged leaves. They are ovate to cordate, tapering into a mucronate tip. The margin is sharply serrate. The leaf base is cordate. The leaf venation is palmate along a midrib, with white tufts of hair in the vein angles. These leaves are darkgreen above, and bluish below. As indicated by its common name, this tree has larger leaves than the Small-leaved Linden (Tilia cordata), 6 to 9 cm (exceptionally 15 cm). The pubescent petiole is usually 3 cm long, but can vary between 1.5-5 cm. The autumn foliage is yellow-green.
The small, fragrant, yellowish-wite flowers are arranged in drooping, cymose clusters in groups of 3 to 4. Their whitish-green, leaf-like bracts have an oblong-obovate shape. The geniculate peduncles are between 1.5-3 cm long. The hermaphroditic flowers have 5 sepals and 5 tepals, numerous stamens, but no staminodes. The superior ovary is 2-10 locular with one smooth style. The flowers are pollinated by bees.
The fruit is a small, round, tomentose, cream-colored nutlet with a diameter of 1 cm or less. It has a woody shell with 3-5 ridges.
There are several cultivars offered commercially in nurseries : 'Rubra' (red twiiged) and 'Tortuosa' (pale-yellow flowers).
Tilia platyphyllos can form a specific hybrid with Tylia cordata : Tilia x europaea (Common Lime)da:Storbladet Lind (Tilia platyphyllos) de:Sommerlinde eo:Tilio grandfolia nl:Grootbladige linde