Thyme

Thyme (Thymus), a genus of humble, half-shrubby plants, of the natural order Labiatæ, having a two-lipped calyx and four diverging stamens. Garden Thyme (T. vulgaris) is 6 to 10 inches high, with narrow, almost linear leaves, and whitish or reddish flowers, which grow in separate whorls, six in a whorl. It is a native of Spain and Italy, is very commonly cultivated in gardens on account of its fragrance, and was introduced into Britain about 1548, or very probably at an earlier date. Wild Thyme (T. Serpyllum) has a procumbent stem with many branches, forming tufts, low and dense, a few inches to a foot wide, oval leaves and purplish flowers, arranged in whorls, which are united in a head. It is abundant on hills and mountains in Britain and in all parts of Europe and the north of Asia. It is less fragrant than garden thyme, but both species contain an aromatic essential oil. The flowering branches (Herba Thymi and Herba Serpylli) are used in medicine as a powerful stimulant, and those of garden thyme are also used in cookery for flavouring. The Lemon Thyme, or Lemon-scented Thyme, of our gardens, is regarded as a variety of T. Serpyllum. It is generally of still lower growth than the common garden thyme. No species of thyme is indigenous in America. Thymol, an antiseptic phenol, is obtained from oil of thyme by distillation.