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Winter twig
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The
alternate
leaves, which are heart-shaped with a drawn-out pointed
tip, are 5-10 cm long. They are dark green and hairless
above, but have tufts of white hairs at the junctions of
the veins
below. The margins have small, sharp teeth, whilst the
leaf-stalks are 3-5 cm long. The leaves often have
'blisters' on the upper surface, caused by sap-sucking
insects.
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Common
Lime is a tall, deciduous
tree, with arching lower branches, which reaches
25 m in height. The old bark is grey and fissured
and punctuated by irregular bosses.
It is an introduced species, which has been widely
planted in 'avenues' on estates, in streets, parks and
large gardens.
The
flowers are arranged in hanging groups of 4-10 on a
long stalk with a linear,
green, leaf-like bract attached above.
The
5-petalled, sweet-smelling, yellowish-white flowers are
15 mm across and appear in early July.
The
group of round, hairy and faintly ribbed fruits are
dispersed together with the green bract, which floats
them away from the tree in October.
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This
is the tallest broad-leaved tree in Britain and it
originated as a hybrid
between the large-leaved and small-leaved lime.
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The
stringy inner bark called 'bass' was once used to
make mats and ropes, whilst the wood is still used
for carving and making musical instruments.
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Nectar
from the flowers provides food for honey bees in
July.
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