made for musicians who play heavy metal. This could be because its tonality helps level out the thin, tinny sound associated with knife edged tremolo contacts that many modern rock and metal players use as bridges on their guitars. Medicinal uses Although Tilia cordata is believed to be stronger, T. americana is also used medicinally. The dried flowers are mildly sweet and sticky, and the fruit is somewhat sweet and mucilaginous. Linden tea has a pleasing taste, due to the aromatic volatile oil found in the flowers. The flowers, leaves, wood, and charcoal (obtained from the wood) are used for medicinal purposes. Active ingredients in the linden flowers include flavonoids (which act as antioxidants), volatile oils, and mucilaginous constituents (which soothe and reduce inflammation). The plant also contains tannins that can act as an astringent. Linden flowers are used in colds, cough, fever, infections, inflammation, high blood pressure, headache (particularly migraine), as a diuretic (increases urine production), antispasmodic (reduces smooth muscle spasm along the digestive tract), and sedative. The flowers were added to baths to quell hysteria, and steeped as a tea to relieve anxiety-related indigestion, irregular heartbeat, and vomiting. The leaves are used to promote sweating to reduce fevers. The wood is used for liver and gallbladder disorders and cellulitis (inflammation of the skin and surrounding soft tissue). The wood burned to charcoal is ingested to treat intestinal disorders and used topically to treat edema or infection, such as cellulitis or ulcers of the lower leg. Several animal studies showed that the extract of T. americana'' increased sleeping time by 50 minutes (similar to the effects of diazepam) and decreased movement, which indicates sedative effects. It is argued that its mechanism of action is due to the flavonoid quercetin, as it inhibits the release of histamine. References External links americana Trees of the Northeastern United States Trees of the Southeastern United States Flora of the North-Central United States Trees of Manitoba Trees of New Brunswick Trees of Ontario Trees of Quebec Trees of Saskatchewan Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America) Natural history of the Great Smoky Mountains Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Trees of North America Trees of the Eastern United States Trees of the United States Trees of Canada