TILIACEAE

linden or basswood family, consisting of about 35 genera of mostly shrubs and trees, widely distributed. The following genera are notable for ornamental species: Tilia, including the linden (q.v.) trees; Sparmannia, including the indoor linden, or African hemp, a shrubby greenhouse or window plant; and Grewia, with about 90 species of shrubs, climbers, and small trees cultivated in the tropics and subtropics. Commercially important genera include Corchorus, the source of jute (q.v.); Clappertonia, with tropical African trees providing a jutelike fibre; and Berrya and Luehea, East Indian and tropical American trees, respectively, that yield wood for construction.