LIME TREE IN THE ARBORETUM OF V. N. SUKACHEV INSTITUTE OF FOREST, SIBERIAN BRANCH, RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES EXPERIMENTAL STATION «POGORELSKIY BOR»

Two lime tree species: European - small-leaved lime ( Tilia cordata Mill.) and Far Eastern - amur lime ( Tilia amurensis Rupr.) grow in the arboretum of V. N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences experimental station «Pogorelskiy Bor». Small-leaved lime tree has 9-16 m in height and 10-36.5 cm in diameter, amur lime tree has 11.5-14.5 m and 7.5-21.5 cm, accordingly. Plants of both species are characterized by high winter hardiness, they are not damaged with spring frosts and rarely attacked by pests. The lime trees begin blooming in the middle of July when the sum of effective temperatures reaches about 800 degrees/day (42.2-43.0 % of the total t ef > 5 for the year). They continue blooming during 10-17 days. A fruits - lime-capsules ripen in September. The small-leaved lime tree capsules were 5.7 mm in length, 4.4 mm in width and 23.6 g in weight per 1000 pieces, its seeds were 4.0 mm, 3.0 mm and 14.5 g, accordingly. Sizes of amur lime tree capsules and seeds were similar - 5.3 mm, 3.9 mm and 23.8 g for the first ones and 3.9 mm 2.6 mm and 16.1 for the second ones. The part of empty seeds in small-leaved lime tree was 70 % but the part of such seeds in amur lime tree was 30 %. At the same time, the good quality of seed samples of both species did not exceed 30 %. On the territory of the arboretum there is natural regeneration of lime tree, including self-seeding. It is the most abundant at a distance of 50-100 m from the mother plants, where its density is 25-41 pieces per square meter.