Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Commonly called lime trees in the British Isles, they are not closely related to the lime fruit. Other names include basswood and linden. The genus occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but the greatest species diversity is found in Asia. Under the Cronquist classification system, this genus was placed in the familyTiliaceae, but genetic research summarized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has resulted in the incorporation of this genus into the Malvaceae.