Tiliaceae
Trees, shrubs or herbs, often with stellate hairs. Bark tough with very strong fibres. Lvs alternate, rarely opposite, often asymmetric, simple; stipules present, usually small and caducous. Infl. cymose or paniculate, terminal or axillary. Fls usually ⚥, actinomorphic or nearly so. Sepals (3)-5, free or connate, valvate; epicalyx sometimes present. Petals usually (3)-5, less commonly 0, valvate or imbricate, often glandular at base. Stamens usually numerous, sometimes as few as 10, free or in bundles, inserted at base of petals or on an androphore; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing by apical pores or slits. Ovary superior, 2-10-(many)-locular; ovules 1-many on axile placentae; style simple; stigma lobed or capitate. Fr. usually a capsule or indehiscent drupe, berry or nut, sometimes a schizocarp. Seed endospermic.
Key
45-50 genera, 450-500 spp., temperate and tropical regions, especially S.E. Asia and Brazil.
In addition to the 2 genera treated here, Tilia L. is very common in cultivation. The usual taxon seen is T. × europaea L., linden or lime tree, and there are few notable parks, domains or large estates which do not contain at least one of these large deciduous trees which have nut-like frs and peduncles adnate to a large bract. This hybrid forms very few viable seeds and there are no reports of regeneration of either of the parents which, along with other spp., are sometimes cultivated in N.Z. Much less common, and rarely seen outside warmer parts of the country, is the genus Grewia L. The usual sp. grown is the pinkish flowered evergreen South African shrub G. occidentalis L.
