Tilia species growing in Turkey on pharmaceutical botany research

The genus Tilia, which is in the Tiliaceae family, has been transferred to the Malvaceae family with the latest phylogenetic studies. Tilia spp. has been used by the public for many years both in the world and in our country to alleviate cold symptoms due to its essential oils, flavonoids and especially mucilage. Used as a drug, brachte flower state is consumed as a tea after being brewed with the infusion method. The hair condition on the leaves is an important character in distinguishing taxa. In this study, Tilia cordata Mill., Tilia rubra subsp. caucasica (Rupr.) V. Engl., Tilia platyphyllos Scop. and Tilia tomentosa Moench taxa, leaves and bracts were analyzed anatomically, micromorphologically and histochemically. It is important to be able to differentiate the species from the medically used inflorescence with bract state in the diagnosis of drugs. In this study, all taxa were examined comparatively. In addition, a diagnostic key was prepared using bract characters to distinguish taxa.