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| Dance
Lime Tree- Macon (Belgium) click to enlarge |
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The
tree’s scientific name, Tilia, is derived from the Greek
word for phloem, tilos. Phloem, one of the three elements
that make up tree bark, is the tissue that conducts synthesised
foodstuffs throughout the plant. People have used the fibres
of lime tree bark since earliest times to make string, rope,
clothing, sandals, baskets, and so on. Linnaeus defined the
Tilia genus in 1735 in Systema Naturae.
Lime trees (known as linden in parts of Europe and North America,
where they are also called basswood) belong to the family
of Malvaceae, and the genus Tilia includes thirty-five species
of trees.
Five of these species grow in Europe, including Tilia Cordata,
or small-leaved lime; Tilia Platyphyllos, or large-leaved
lime; the common lime; and Tilia Tomentosa, or silver lime. |
The
lime tree is one of the largest European trees, with height
and trunk diameters which exceed those of other trees. In
the past it was often found in forests, where its fallen leaves
decayed into a rich humus.
The lime tree grows straight and tall due to the fact that
its topmost branches remain alive. It has a straight, smooth
trunk that cracks slightly when the tree reaches maturity
at twenty years of age. The crown, depending upon the species,
is conical, oval or pyramidal. A wide pyramidal shape is best
for a dance lime tree. The lower branches grow horizontally,
with more and more ramification in the higher branches. Twigs
which grow on either sides of the branches carry heart-shaped
leaves. |
