See Tilo.
FAMILY: Tiliaceae
SYNONYMS: T. europaea, lime tree, common lime, lyne, tillet, tilea.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A tall graceful tree up to 30 metres high with a smooth bark, spreading branches and bright green, heart-shaped leaves. It has yellowy-white flowers borne in clusters which have a very powerful scent.
DISTRIBUTION: Native to Europe and the northern hemisphere. Common in England, France, Holland, etc.
OTHER SPECIES: Several related types such as the broad-leaved lime (T. platyphylla) and the small-leaved lime (T. cordata).
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: Linden tea, known as ‘tilleul’, is drunk a great deal on the Continent, especially in France, as a general relaxant. The flowers are also used for indigestion, palpitations, nausea, hysteria and catarrhal symptoms following a cold. The honey from the flowers is highly regarded, and used in medicines and liqueurs. According to Culpeper the flowers are a ‘good cephalic and nervine, excellent for apoplexy, epilepsy, vertigo and palpitation of the heart’.. Lime flowers are current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, indicated for migraine, hysteria, arteriosclerotic hypertension and feverish colds.
ACTIONS: Astringent (mild), antispasmodic, bechic, carminative, cephalic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, 17-ervine, sedative, tonic.
EXTRACTION: A concrete and absolute by solvent extraction from the dried flowers.
CHARACTERISTICS: The concrete is a hard, brittle, dark green mass with a herbaceous, dry, haylike odour. The absolute is a yellow semi solid mass with a green-herbaceous, dry, characteristic odour.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Mainly farnesol – the concrete is very rich in waxes.
SAFETY DATA: Most products are adulterated or synthetic. No safety data available at present.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE
Digestive system: Cramps, indigestion, liver pains.
Nervous system: Headaches, insomnia, migraine, nervous tension and stress-related conditions.
OTHER USES: Occasionally used in high-class perfumery.
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