| Tilia × europaea | |
|---|---|
| Common Lime foliage | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Tilia |
| Species: | T. × europaea |
| Binomial name | |
| Tilia × europaea L. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Tilia × europaea L., generally known as the Common Lime, is a naturally occurring hybrid between Tilia cordata (small-leaved lime) and Tilia platyphyllos (large-leaved lime). It occurs in the wild in Europe at scattered localities wherever the two parent species are both native.[1][2]
Tilia × europaea is a large deciduous tree up to 15–50 m tall with a trunk up to 2.5 m radius. The leaves are intermediate between the parents, 6–15 cm long and 6–12 cm broad, thinly hairy below with tufts of denser hairs in the leaf vein axils. The flowers are produced in clusters of four to ten in early summer with a leafy yellow-green subtending bract; they are fragrant, and pollinated by bees. The fruit is a dry nut-like drupe 8 mm diameter, downy and faintly ribbed; .[1]
This hybrid is very widely cultivated, being readily and inexpensively propagated by layering; as a result, it is often the commonest Tilia species in urban areas and along avenues. It is not however the best species of this purpose, as it produces abundant stem sprouts, and also often hosts heavy aphid populations resulting in honeydew deposits on everything underneath the trees.[1]
Oscillants are caused by strong winds rocking large trees such as limes back and forth, often imperceptibly. This rocking motion of the whole root ball acts like a giant syringe, sucking liquified water up on the 'blow' and pushing it back on the 'lull'.
Such movements eventually create large cavities beneath the tree concerned as the water is effectively liquified soil that may overflow and then drain away, leaving a void beneath the tree. The tree's grip on the soil is weakend and this may eventually lead to the tree falling, however trees are both dynamic and responsive, often growing new or strengthening existing roots to help compensate for this loss of adhesion to the substrate.