Tilia heterophylla

Tilia caroliniana
Botanical drawing of Tilia caroliniana subsp. heterophylla.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Malvaceae
Genus:	Tilia
Species:	T. caroliniana
Binomial name
Tilia caroliniana Mill.
Synonyms
Tilia americana var. mexicana (Schltdl.) Hardin Tilia mexicana Schltdl.

Tilia caroliniana Mill. is a species of tree in the Malvaceae family native to the southern and south-eastern states of the U.S., and Mexico.

T. caroliniana consists of 4 subspecies:

Trees described as belonging to Tilia mexicana, belong to either subsp. floridana or subsp. occidentalis. However, the taxonomy of American species of Tilia remains a matter of contention. DNA analysis, which has clarified much of the taxonomy of genera such as Ulmus, has yet to be applied to Tilia. Pigott (2012) wrote:

"The complexity of variation in American Tilia is not readily treated by classical taxonomy, and attempts to do so have resulted in the description of a profusion of species and varieties that are often separated by small and inconsistent differences."

Tilia caroliniana may grow to 30 m (98 ft) tall with a trunk up to 150 cm (4.9 ft) in diameter. The leaves are large, very unequal at the base, 7–19 cm (2 ³⁄₄–7 ¹⁄₂ in) long and 6–14 cm (2 ¹⁄₄–5 ¹⁄₂ in) broad, with a finely toothed margin; they are light green and smooth above, and silvery downy beneath. Some leaves on specimens identified as T. mexicana in English arboreta are huge, 30 cm (0.98 ft) long, as exemplified by the specimen at the Ventnor Botanic Garden. The flowers, larger than those of T. americana, are produced in clusters of 10–24 together. The fruit is spherical, 13 mm (¹⁄₂ in) diameter, downy, with the fruit bract pointed at the base.

Tree accessed as T. mexicana at Ventnor Botanic Garden, IoW

Typical leaf

Foliage of specimen, at Ventnor B G.

Large leaf, >30 cm long

The young leaves are edible, and can be made into a mild-flavored tea.

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Wikipedia