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Thymus serpyllum

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Lamiaceae

Scientific name
  
Thymus serpyllum

Rank
  
Species

Order
  
Lamiales

Genus
  
Thymus

Higher classification
  
Thymes

Thymus serpyllum httpsimg1etsystaticcom03306549361ilfullx

Similar
  
Thymes, Garden Thyme, Yarrow, Lemon balm, Common sage

Octonary ingredients of thymus serpyllum formulations pankaj oudhia s medicinal plant database


Thymus serpyllum, known by the common names of Breckland thyme, wild thyme or creeping thyme, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to most of Europe and North Africa. It is a low, usually prostrate subshrub growing to 2 cm (1 in) tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm (4 in) long. The oval evergreen leaves are 3–8 mm long. The strongly scented flowers are either lilac, pink-purple, magenta, or a rare white, all 4–6 mm long and produced in clusters. The hardy plant tolerates some pedestrian traffic and produces odors ranging from heavily herbal to lightly lemon, depending on the variety.

Contents

Thymus serpyllum Thymus Serpyllum

Description

Thymus serpyllum Thymus serpyllum Creeping Thyme

Wild thyme is a creeping dwarf evergreen shrub with woody stems and a taproot. It forms matlike plants that root from the nodes of the squarish, limp stems. The leaves are in opposite pairs, nearly stalkless, with linear elliptic round-tipped blades and untoothed margins. The plant sends up erect flowering shoots in summer. The usually pink or mauve flowers have a tube-like calyx and an irregular straight-tubed, hairy corolla. The upper petal is notched and the lower one is larger than the two lateral petals and has three flattened lobes which form a lip. Each flower has four projecting stamens and two fused carpels. The fruit is a dry, four-chambered schizocarp.

Distribution and habitat

Thymus serpyllum Thymus serpyllum Wikipedia

Wild thyme is native to the palearctic zone of Europe and Asia. It is a plant of thin soils and can be found growing on sandy-soiled heaths, rocky outcrops, hills, banks, roadsides and riverside sand banks. Wild thyme is one of the plants on which both the common blue butterfly and large blue butterfly larvae feed and it is also attractive to bees.

Cultivation

Thymus serpyllum Thymus serpyllum L Checklist View

Creeping and mounding variants of T. serpyllum are used as border plants and ground cover around gardens and stone paths. It may also be used to replace a bluegrass lawn to xeriscape low to moderate foot traffic areas due to its tolerance for low water and poor soils.

Thymus serpyllum serpyllum

Numerous cultivars have been produced, of which 'Pink Chintz' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. A miniature creeping form is 'Elfin'.

Thymus serpyllum Thymus serpyllum coccineus Creeping Red Thyme Dobbies Garden Centres

References

Thymus serpyllum Wikipedia