Tilia chinensis

The Chinese linden or Chinese lime is a species of tree in the mallow or Malvaceae family, native to China (provinces of Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang and Yunnan). It is a smaller tree, reaching a height of about 20 m.

• Bark is grey, developing close vertical ridges as it matures; twigs are slender, green, becoming glabrous; buds are large (9–12 mm long), with 2 bud scales, yellowish, turning darker red later in the season.
• Leaves are deciduous, simple, alternate, orbicular to sub-rectangular, 7–12 cm long and 5.5–9.5 cm across, upper surface soon glabrous, lower surface greenish, with a variable cover of brown stellate hairs, and longer brown hairs fringing the vein-axils ; teeth towards the tip rounded, and remaining teeth often pointed with sharp points 0.5 mm long.
• Flowers hang below leaf-like floral bracts 5–11 cm long and 0.8–2.3 cm broad, pale green with dense stellate hairs below, sessile or with stalk to 0.5 cm; flowers are drooping, 2-5 per cluster; flowers are hermaphroditic, with protruding female pistil and half as long male stamens.
• Fruit is large (0.8–1.4 cm long and 0.7–0/9 cm across, five-ribbed, tomentosa, the fruit-wall being thick and woody.