Linden family – Tiliaceae.
Inflorescences are used for medicinal purposes.
It occurs in deciduous (oak, hornbeam, beech, etc.) and less often in mixed forests almost throughout Ukraine. In the Carpathians, it rises to 950 m. In forest and forest-steppe regions, it mainly grows in watersheds, less often in floodplain forests, in the Steppe – in floodplain and ravine forests. Everywhere in the forest-steppe and in the north of the steppe regions it grows in forest belts and roadside plantations, also on the streets, in parks, etc. The main preparations are advisable in Khmelnitsky, Vinnitsa, Kyiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Sumy, Kharkov, Donetsk regions.
Stocks of raw materials are large. Several hundred tons of inflorescences can be harvested annually. Billets are produced in all regions of Ukraine. The average annual harvesting of linden inflorescences in the republic for three years (1974-1976) amounted to 60 g.
Linden heart-leaved – a tree up to 25 m tall, with reddish or olive shoots. The leaves are alternate, long-petiolate, pointed at the apex, unequal-sided, heart-shaped, serrated along the edges, dark green above, bluish-green below, with tufts of brown hairs in the corners between the veins. The flowers are yellowish-white, fragrant, collected 2-11 in drooping half-umbels. The bract is folded, growing together with a common peduncle. The fruits are pubescent nuts, 4-8 mm in diameter. The plant blooms in late June-July. The fruits ripen in October.
In Ukraine, in addition to heart-leaved linden, broad-leaved linden also grows – Tilia platyphyllos Scop. and fluffy linden – Tilia tomentosa Moench. The chemical composition of the last few days has not been sufficiently studied. Probably, it can be used in the same way as l. hearty and l. broad-leaved.
Prepare inflorescences during flowering. In order not to damage the trees, it is better to do this from the side sliding ladders. But traditionally, small branches with abundant flowering are cut off and inflorescences are cut off on the ground, discarding at the same time damaged by leaf beetles and affected by rust.
Dry raw materials in attics under an iron roof or under sheds with good ventilation, spreading a thin layer (3-5 cm) on cloth or paper, or in a dryer at a temperature of 25-30 °. When overdrying, the flowers crumble. The yield of dry raw materials is 30-31%.
According to GF-X Art. 274, GOST 6518-69 raw material consists of yellowish-green bracts and light yellow flowers, collected 3-15 on peduncles. The smell is weak, aromatic. The taste is sweetish, slightly tart with a slimy feeling. Humidity is not higher than 13%. Not more than (percent) is allowed in raw materials: browned flowers and bracts – 4, inflorescences damaged by leaf beetles and rust – 2, inflorescences with fruits – 2, other parts of linden – 1, crumbled flowers or inflorescences without bracts – 15, crushed parts ( passing through a sieve with a hole diameter of 3 mm) – 3, organic impurities (parts of other plants) – 0.3, mineral – 0.1. Dry inflorescences are packed in bales weighing 50 kg. Store in packaged form in a dry, well-ventilated area on pallets or racks. Storage period up to 2 years.
Inflorescences contain flavonoids and diaphoretic glycosides, essential oil, mucus, tannins. They are used as a diaphoretic for colds, for gargling and pharynx. They are part of diaphoretic teas and collection for gargling. It is also used in cognac and liqueur production.