Thymus serpyllum
| Thymus serpyllum | |
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Scientific classification
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Thymus |
| Species: | T. serpyllum
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| Binomial name | |
| Thymus serpyllum | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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List
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Thymus serpyllum,known by the common names ofBreckland thyme,[3]Breckland wild thyme,wild thyme,creeping thyme,orelfin thyme,is aspeciesofflowering plantin the mintfamilyLamiaceae,nativeto most of Europe and North Africa. It is a low, usuallyprostratesubshrubgrowing to 2 cm (1 in) tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm (4 in) long. The ovalevergreenleavesare 3–8 mm long. The strongly scentedflowersare 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.
Description[edit]
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-likecalyxand an irregular straight-tubed, hairycorolla.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-chamberedschizocarp.[4]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Wild thyme is native to thePalearctic realmof 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 thecommon blue butterflyandlarge blue butterflylarvae feed and it is also attractive to bees.[4][5]
Chemistry[edit]
The oils ofT. serpyllumcontainthymol,carvacrol,limonene,paracymene,gamma-terpineneandbeta-caryophyllene.[6]
Cultivation[edit]
Creeping and mounding variants ofT. serpyllumare used as border plants and ground cover around gardens and stone paths. It may also be used to replace abluegrasslawn toxeriscapelow to moderate foot traffic areas due to its tolerance for low water and poor soils.[7][8][9]
Severalcultivarshave been produced, of which 'Pink Chintz' has gained theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit.[10][11]A miniature creeping form is 'Elfin'.[12]
Gallery[edit]
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var. albus -
var. albus -
Thymus serpyllum coccineus -
Wild thyme in theUBC Botanical Garden
Illustrations[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Linnaeus. Sp. Pl. 590 1753.
- ^"The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species".
- ^Schauer, Thomas (1978).A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain and Europe,Collins, London, p. 184.ISBN0-00-219257-8.
- ^ab"Breckland Thyme:Thymus serpyllum".NatureGate.Retrieved13 December2013.
- ^Eva Penn-Smith,Caterpillar food plants(PDF)
- ^Debaggio, Thomas; Tucker, Arthur O. (2009).The Encyclopedia of Herbs.p. 482.ISBN9781604691344.Retrieved10 May2021.
- ^"Thyme, the Fragrant Ground Cover".Fine Gardening.25 April 2014.
- ^"Planting and Maintaining a Thyme Lawn".GardenGuides.
- ^"What is Xeriscape Nothing More Than Seven Common Gasrdening Principals".Archived fromthe originalon 15 May 2010.Retrieved23 May2010.
- ^"RHS Plant Selector -Thymus serpyllum'Pink Chintz'".RHS.Retrieved5 March2021.
- ^"AGM Plants - Ornamental"(PDF).Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 102.Retrieved23 December2018.
- ^"Elfin Thyme Care – How Do I Plant Elfin Thyme In The Garden".Gardening Know How.April 2021.
- ^Caterpillar food plants
External links[edit]
