Tilia 261463 225586600 2008-07-14T12:55:18Z 62.149.0.96 {{Taxobox | name = ''Tilia'' | image = Sommerlinde (Tilia platyphyllos).jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = ''Tilia platyphyllos'' | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]] | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]] | ordo = [[Malvales]] | familia = [[Malvaceae]] | genus = '''''Tilia''''' | genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = About 30; see text }} [[Image:Alexandra park avenue.jpg|thumb|A Tilia [[avenue (landscape)|avenue]] in [[Alexandra Park, London]]]] [[Image:Lisc lipy.jpg|thumb|150px|''Tilia'' leaf]] '''''Tilia''''' is a [[genus]] of about 30 species of [[tree]]s, native throughout most of the temperate [[Northern Hemisphere]], in [[Asia]] (where the greatest species diversity is found), [[Europe]] and eastern [[North America]]; it is not native to western North America. Under the [[Cronquist system|Cronquist classification system]], this genus was placed in the family [[Tiliaceae]], but genetic research by the [[Angiosperm Phylogeny Group|APG]] has resulted in the incorporation of this family into the [[Malvaceae]]. The trees are generally called '''lime''' in Britain and '''linden''' in North America and parts of Europe. ''Tilia'' species are large [[deciduous]] trees, reaching typically 20-40 m tall, with oblique-cordate leaves 6-20 cm across, and are found through the north temperate regions. The exact number of species is subject to considerable uncertainty, as many or most of the species will [[Hybrid (biology)|hybridise]] readily, both in the wild and in cultivation. ==Name== ''Lime'' is an altered form of Middle English ''lind'', in the 16th century also ''line'', from Old English feminine ''lind'' or ''linde'', [[Proto-Germanic]] ''*lendā'', cognate to Latin ''lentus'' "flexible" and Sanskrit ''latā'' "[[liana]]". Within Germanic, English ''lithe'', German ''lind'' "lenient, yielding" are from the same root. ''Linden'' was originally the adjective, "made from lime-wood", from the late 16th century also used as a noun, probably influenced by translations of German romance, as an adoption of ''Linden'', the plural of German ''Linde'' ([[OED]]). Neither the name nor the tree is related to the citrus fruit called "[[Lime (fruit)|lime]]" (''Citrus aurantifolia'', family [[Rutaceae]]). Another widely-used common name used in North America is '''Basswood''', derived from ''bast'', the name for the inner bark (see [[Basswood#Uses|Uses]], below). Latin ''tilia'' is cognate to Greek πτελέᾱ "[[elm tree]]", τιλίαι "[[black poplar]]" ([[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hes.]]), ultimately from a PIE ''*ptel-ei̯ā'' with a meaning of "broad (feminine)", perhaps "broad-leaved" or similar ([[IEW]]). ==Species== The following list comprises those most widely accepted 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 dasystyla]]'' *''[[Tilia europaea]]'' European Lime *''[[Tilia henryana]]'' Henry's Lime or Henry's Linden *''[[Tilia heterophylla]]'' White Basswood *''[[Tilia hupehensis]]'' Hubei Lime *''[[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]]'' - Caucasian lime *''[[Tilia tomentosa]]'' Silver Lime or Silver Linden *''[[Tilia tuan]]'' ===Hybrids and cultivars=== [[Image:Tilia x europea-2.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Leaves and trunk of common lime (''[[Tilia × europaea]]'')]] *''[[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) ==Description== The Linden's sturdy trunk stands like a pillar and the branches divide and subdivide into numerous ramifications on which the spray is small and thick. In summer this is profusely clothed with large leaves and the result is a dense head of abundant foliage.<ref name=Keeler>{{cite book | last =Keeler | first =Harriet L. | title =Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them | publisher =Charles Scriber's Sons | date =1900 | location =New York | pages =24-31 }}</ref> The leaves of all the lindens are one-sided, always heart-shaped, and the tiny fruit, looking like [[pea]]s, always hangs attached to a curious, ribbon-like, greenish yellow bract, whose use seems to be to launch the ripened seed-clusters just a little beyond the parent tree. The flowers of the European and American lindens are similar, except that the American bears a petal-like scale among its stamens and the European varieties are destitute of these appendages. All of the lindens may be propagated by cuttings and grafting as well as by seed. They grow rapidly in a rich soil, but are subject to the attacks of many insect enemies.<ref name=Keeler /> ==Uses== [[Image:Lindenfoliage.jpg|thumb|right|Linden foliage in autumn colors from [[Ekoparken]] in Stockholm.]] The Linden is to be recommended as an ornamental tree when a mass of foliage or a deep shade is desired.<ref name=Keeler /> The tree produces fragrant and nectar-producing flowers, the medicinal [[herb]] lime blossom. They are very important [[honey]] plants for [[beekeeping|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. ''T. cordata'' is the preferred species for medical use, having a high concentration of active compounds. It is said to be a nervine, used by herbalists in treating restlessness, hysteria, and headaches. Usually, the double-flowered lindens are used to make perfumes. The leaf buds and young leaves are also edible raw. ''Tilia'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species; see ''[[List of Lepidoptera that feed on Tilia]]''. The [[timber]] of lime trees is soft, easily worked, and has very little [[wood grain|grain]], so it is a popular wood for model building and intricate carving. Ease of working and good [[acoustic]] properties also make it popular for electric guitar and bass bodies and wind instruments such as recorders. It is also the wood of choice for the window-blinds and shutters industries. Real wood blinds are often made from this lightweight but strong and stable wood which is well suited to natural and stained finishes. It is known in the trade as basswood, particularly in [[North America]]. This name originates from the inner fibrous bark of the tree, known as ''bast'' ([[Old English language]]). A very strong [[fibre]] was obtained from this, by peeling off the bark and soaking in water for a month; after which the inner fibres can be easily separated. Bast obtained from the inside of the bark of the lime tree has been used by the [[Ainu people]] of Japan to weave their traditional clothing, the [[attus]]. In the percussion industry, basswood is sometimes used as a material for drum shells, both to enhance their sound and their aesthetics. Basswood is also frequently used as a material for [[electric guitar]] and bass bodies. In the past, it was typically used (along with ''[[Agathis]]'') for favoured for less-expensive models. However, due to its better resonance at mid and high frequency, and better sustain than alder, it is now more commonly in use with [[superstrat]]s. It can also be used for the neck because of its excellent material integrity when bent and ability to produce consistent tone without any dead spots according to Parker Guitars. ===Medicinal Uses=== Most medicinal research has focused on ''[[Tilia cordata]]'' although other species are also used medicinally and somewhat interchangeably. The dried flowers are mildly sweet and sticky, and the fruit is somewhat sweet and mucilaginous. Limeflower tea has a pleasing taste, due to the aromatic volatile oil found in the flowers. The flowers, leaves, wood, and charcoal (obtained from the wood) are used for medicinal purposes. Active ingredients in the lime flowers include [[flavonoids]] (which act as [[antioxidant]]s), volatile oils, and mucilaginous constituents (which soothe and reduce inflammation). The plant also contains tannins that can act as an astringent.<ref name=bradley>Bradley P., ed. (1992). British Herbal Compendium. Vol. 1: 142-144. British Herbal Medicine Association, Dorset (Great Britain)</ref> Lime flowers are used in colds, cough, fever, infections, inflammation, high blood pressure, headache (particularly migraine), as a diuretic (increases urine production), antispasmodic (reduces smooth muscle spasm along the digestive tract), and sedative. <ref>Coleta, M., Campos, M. G., Cotrim, M. D., et al. (2001). Comparative evaluation of Melissa officinalis L., Tilia europaea L., Passiflora edulis Sims. and Hypericum perforatum L. in the elevated plus maze anxiety test. ''Pharmacopsychiatry'' 34 (suppl 1): S20–1</ref> New evidence shows that the flowers may be [[hepatoprotective]].<ref>Matsuda. H., Ninomiya, K., Shimoda, H., & Yoshikawa, M. (2002). Hepatoprotective principles from the flowers of Tilia argentea (linden): structure requirements of tiliroside and mechanisms of action. ''Bioorg Med Chem''. 10 (30): 707-712.</ref> The flowers were added to baths to quell hysteria, and steeped as a tea to relieve anxiety-related indigestion, irregular heartbeat, and vomiting. The leaves are used to promote sweating to reduce fevers. The wood is used for liver and gallbladder disorders and cellulitis (inflammation of the skin and surrounding soft tissue). That wood burned to charcoal is ingested to treat intestinal disorders and used topically to treat edema or infection, such as cellulitis or ulcers of the lower leg.<ref name=bradley/> [[Image:Linde bei Frankenbrunn.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Bole of an ancient linden at Frankenbrunn, near [[Bad Kissingen]], Bavaria]] ==History== In Europe, Lime trees are known to have reached ages measured in centuries, if not longer. A [[coppice]] of ''T. cordata'' in [[Westonbirt Arboretum]] in [[Gloucestershire]], for example, is estimated to be 2,000 years old.[http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-73egts]In the courtyard of the Imperial Castle at Nuremberg is a lime which tradition says was planted by the Empress Cunigunde, the wife of Henry II of Germany. This would make the tree about nine hundred years old (when it was described in {{asof|1900}}).<!-- replace the "asof" template with a confirmation date when a more recent description is found --> It looks ancient and infirm, but in 1900 was sending forth thrifty leaves on its two or three remaining branches and was of course cared for tenderly. The famous Lime of Neustadt on the Kocher in Würtemberg was computed to be one thousand years old when it fell.<ref name=Keeler />. The Alte Linde tree of Naters, Switzerland, is already mentioned in a document in 1357 and described by the writer at that time as already "magnam" (huge). A plaque at its foot mentions that in 1155 a Lime tree was already on this spot. * The excellence of the honey of far-famed [[Hybla]] was due to the lime trees that covered its sides and crowned its summit. * The name of [[Linnaeus]], the great botanist, was derived from a lime tree. * ''Tilia'' appears in the tertiary formations of Grinnel Land in 82° north latitude, and in [[Spitsbergen]]. Sapporta believed that he found there the common ancestor of the limes of Europe and America.<ref name=Keeler /> ==Cultural significance== {{see|Trees in mythology}} The lime tree is a [[national emblem]] of [[Slovakia]], [[Slovenia]] and the [[Czech Republic]],{{Fact|date=February 2007}} where it is called ''lipa'' (in [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] (липа), and [[Slovenian language|Slovenian]]) and ''lípa'' (in [[Czech language|Czech]]). The tree also has cultural and spiritual significance in Hungary, where it is called ''hars''(''fa'').The [[Croatia]]n currency, ''kuna'', consists of 100 ''lipa'', also meaning "linden". The lime tree is also the tree of legend of the [[Slavs]]. In the Slavic [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Orthodox Christian]] world, limewood was the preferred wood for panel [[icon]] painting. The famous icons by the hand of [[Andrei Rublev]], including the [[Holy Trinity Icon|Holy Trinity]] (Hospitality of Abraham), and [[Christ the Redeemer (icon)|The Savior]], now in the [[State Tretyakov Gallery]] in [[Moscow]], are painted on limewood. Limewood was chosen for its ability to be sanded very smooth, and for its resistance to warping once [[Seasoning (wood)|seasoned]]. The national poet of Romania, [[Mihai Eminescu]], was known to receive poetic inspiration from a linden tree in the [[Copou Gardens]] under which he would compose. The most famous street in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]] is called ''[[Unter den Linden]]'' or ''Under the lindens'', named after the linden trees lining the boulevard. In German folklore, the linden tree is the "tree of lovers." ===Germanic mythology=== The tilia was also a highly symbolic and hallowed tree to the [[Germanic peoples]] in their native [[Germanic paganism|pre-Christian]] [[Germanic mythology]]. Originally, local communities not only assembled to celebrate and dance under the lime-tree to hold their judicial [[thing (assembly)|thing]] meetings there in order to restore justice and peace. It was believed that the tree would help unearth the truth. Thus the tree became associated with [[jurisprudence]] even after [[Christianization]], such as in the case of the ''[[Gerichtslinde]]'', and verdicts in rural Germany were frequently returned ''sub tilia'' (under the lime-tree) until the [[Age of Enlightenment]]. In the ''[[Nibelungenlied]]'', a medieval German work ultimately based on oral tradition recounting events amongst the Germanic tribes in the 5th and 6th centuries, [[Siegfried]] gains his invulnerability by bathing in the blood of a dragon. While he did so, a single linden tree leaf sticks to him, leaving a spot on his body untouched by the blood and he thus has a single point of vulnerability. ===Greek mythology=== [[Homer]], [[Horace]], [[Virgil]], and [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]] mention the lime-tree and mention its virtues. As [[Ovid]] tells the old story of [[Baucis and Philemon]], she was changed into a linden and he into an [[oak]] when the time came for them both to die. Herodotus says: {{quote|The Scythian diviners take also the leaf of the lime-tree, which, dividing into three parts, they twine round their fingers; they then unbind it and exercise the art to which they pretend.}}<ref name=Keeler /> ===Romantic symbol=== As Freya was also the goddess of love her tree was always considered a romantic symbol, even to the present day. For instance, a very famous [[mediaeval]] love poem by [[Walther von der Vogelweide]] (c.1170-c.1230) starts with a reference to the lime-tree: {| | :''Under der linden'' :''an der heide,'' :''dâ unser zweier bette was,'' :''dâ mugt ir vinden'' :''schône beide'' :''gebrochen bluomen unde gras.'' :''vor dem wald in einem tal,'' :''tandaradei,'' :''schône sanc diu nahtegal.'' | :Under the lime tree :on the open field, :where we two had our bed, :you still can see :lovely both :broken flowers and grass. :On the edge of the woods in a vale, :tandaradei, :sweetly sang the nightingale. |} Linden-trees play a significant [[Motif (literature)|motif]] in a number of poems written by the most famous [[Romania]]n romantic poet [[Mihai Eminescu]]. An excerpt from his poem ''Mai am un singur dor'' (One Wish Alone Have I): {| | :''Pătrunză talanga'' :''Al serii rece vânt,'' :''Deasupră-mi teiul sfânt'' :''Să-şi scuture creanga.'' | :While softly rings :The evening's cool wind :Above me the holy lime :Shakes its branch. ''(translation: M.G.Jiva)'' |} ====Romantic symbols in music==== The trees have also become more famous from [[O-Zone]]'s [[Dragostea Din Tei]] (Love From Linden Trees). {| | :''Vrei sa pleci dar nu ma nu ma iei,'' :''nu ma nu ma iei,'' :''nu ma nu ma nu ma iei.'' :''Chipul tau si Dragostea din tei'' :''mi-amintesc de ochii tai.'' | :You want to leave, but you can't take me, :you can't take me, :you can't take me, you can't take me. :The image of your face and the love from linden trees :remind me of your eyes.'' |} ====Other Literary References==== The lime tree is an important symbol in [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]]'s "This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison," (written 1797; first published 1800). The linden tree is featured as a symbol of supernatural dread in Hannah Crafts' ''[[The Bondwoman's Narrative]]''. A road lined with linden trees is cursed by the narrator of the famous censored poem, "Ich was ein chint so wolgetan" (I was such a lovely child), from the [[Carmina Burana]]. A poem from [[Wilhelm Müller]]'s cycle of poems, ''[[Winterreise]]'', is called "Der Lindenbaum." The cycle was later set to music by [[Franz Schubert]]. The linden tree is featured in Tolstoy's ''[[War and Peace]].'' == See also == {{Commons|Tilia}} {{wikispecies|Tilia}} * [[Dragostea Din Tei]] - a [[Romania]]n/[[Moldova]]n [[song]] referring to lindens * [[Unter den Linden]] - an [[avenue (landscape)|avenue]] of lindens in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]] == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Malvaceae]] [[Category:Medicinal plants]] [[ar:زيزفون]] [[bg:Липа]] [[cs:Lípa (rod)]] [[da:Lind]] [[de:Linden (Botanik)]] [[et:Pärn]] [[es:Tilia]] [[eo:Tilio]] [[eu:Ezki]] [[fa:نمدار]] [[fr:Tilleul]] [[hr:Lipa (biljka)]] [[ia:Tilia]] [[it:Tilia]] [[he:טיליה]] [[lt:Liepa (augalas)]] [[nl:Lindeboom]] [[ja:シナノキ属]] [[no:Lind]] [[pl:Lipa (drzewo)]] [[pt:Tilia]] [[ru:Липа]] [[sl:Lipa]] [[sr:Липа (дрво)]] [[fi:Lehmukset]] [[sv:Lind]] [[vi:Chi Đoạn]] [[tr:Ihlamur]] [[zh:椴树]]