| L |
Flora Eur. 729-332 |
E | linden, limeflower tree | S | Tilia spp. L. |
| G | Linden | F | tilleul | I | tiglio |
|
|
Vergil probably couldn't tell one linden from another any more than I can. A readily hybridizing genus, with little to choose between the species. Three main types in Italy.
1. The shorter, tougher, but more common:
| L |
Flora Eur. 731 |
E | small leaved linden | S | Tilia cordata Miller |
| G | Winterlinde | F | tilleul à petites feuilles | I | tiglio selvatico |
 Tilia.cordata.1.jpg |
 Tilia.cordata.2.jpg |
 Tilia.cordata.3.jpg |
 Tilia.cordata.4.jpg |
 Tilia.cordata.5.jpg |
 Tilia.cordata.6.jpg |
The taller, rarer, and more mountain-loving:
| L |
Flora Eur. 729 |
E | large-leaved linden, lime | S | Tilia platyphyllos Scop. |
| G | Sommerlinde | F | tilleul à grandes feuilles | I | tiglio nostrale |
 Tilia.platyphyllos.1.jpg |
 Tilia.platyphyllos.2.jpg |
 Tilia.platyphyllos.3.jpg |
 Tilia.platyphyllos.4.jpg |
 Tilia.platyphyllos.5.jpg |
 Tilia.platyphyllos.6.jpg |
and finally the most common, their hybrid:
| L |
Flora Eur. 731 |
E | common linden, lime | S | Tilia x vulgaris Hayne (T. cordata x T. platyphyllos ; T. europaea auct.) |
| G | Gemeine Linde | F | tilleul de Hollande | I | tiglio comune |
 Tilia.x.vulgaris.1.jpg |
 Tilia.x.vulgaris.2.jpg |
 Tilia.x.vulgaris.3.jpg |
 Tilia.x.vulgaris.4.jpg |
 Tilia.x.vulgaris.5.jpg |
 Tilia.x.vulgaris.6.jpg |
All are good for light carving.
A helpful guide to more precise identification at Bomen Gids:
"-Leaf with minuscule white hairs on the bottom between veins and tree with small nuts (size about 5 mm) with clear ribs which you cannot crunch by hand: Bigleaf linden (Tilia platyphyllos). Tree upto 30 meters. In the winter and fall many nuts still on the tree.
- Leaf with redish minuscule hairs between the veins; leaf underneath blue-ish-green, veins of the third order not indented: Littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata).
- Leaf with redish minuscule hairs between the veins; leaf underneath green, veins of the third order clearly indented: Common linden (Tilia x vulgaris; Tilia europaea). Nuts without clear ribs, crushable by hand. Upto 35 meters high. The difference between the Common and Littleleaf linden is very hard to make in my opinion."
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