The genus Thymus (/ˈtaɪməs/TY-məs;[3]thymes) contains about 350[4] species of aromatic
perennialherbaceous plants and
subshrubs to 40 cm tall in the family
Lamiaceae, native to
temperate regions in Europe, North Africa and Asia. Thymus species are particularly concentrated in Iran, attributed to Iran's diverse climate and topographic/geographic location.[5]
Thyme is packed with phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals.[6] Thyme species such as T. fedtschenkoi, T. pubescens, and T. transcaucasicus have high amounts of essential oils; thymol and carvacrol.[7] These Thymus species are used for herbal tea, spice, and medicine.[7] The therapeutic effect of thyme is largely attributed to these essential oils belonging to the terpenoids family. [8]Thyme is considered amongst the most consequential medicinal plants due to its substantial amount of bioactive compounds.[9] Thyme has been used to treat diabetes, cold and chest infections, and coughs.[10]Thymus quinquecostatus Celak is an example of a Thyme species present in Korea.[11] In conventional Korean medicine, Thymus quinquecostatus Celak has been used to treat cancer, hepatic disease, and constipation.[12]
Stems tend to be narrow or even wiry;
leaves are
evergreen in most species, arranged in
opposite pairs, oval,
entire, and small, 4–20 mm long, and usually aromatic. Thyme flowers are in dense terminal heads with an uneven
calyx, with the upper lip three-lobed, and are yellow, white, or purple.
Several members of the genus are cultivated as culinary herbs or ornamentals, when they are also called
thyme after its best-known species, Thymus vulgaris or common thyme.
Thymus species are used as food plants by the
larvae of some
butterfly and
moth insect species, including Chionodes distinctella and the Coleophora case-bearers C. lixella, C. niveicostella, C. serpylletorum, and C. struella (the latter three feed exclusively on Thymus).
Classification
A considerable amount of confusion has existed in the naming of thymes. Many nurseries use common names rather than binomial names, which can lead to mix-ups. For example golden thyme, lemon thyme, and creeping thyme are all common names for more than one cultivar. Some confusion remains over the naming and taxonomy of some species, and Margaret Easter (who holds the
NCCPG National Plant Collection of thymes in the UK) has compiled a list of synonyms for cultivated species and
cultivars.[13]
The most common classification is that used by
Jalas, in eight sections:
[14]
Micantes: Iberian Peninsula and north Africa, includes T. caespititius
Mastichina: Iberian Peninsula, includes T. mastichina
Pseudothymbra: Iberian Peninsula and north Africa, includes T. cephalotos, T. longiflorus and T. membranaceus
Thymus: Western Mediterranean region, includes T. camphoratus, T. carnosus, T. hyemalis, T. vulgaris and T. zygis
Hyphodromi: Throughout the Mediterranean region, includes T. cilicicus and T. comptus
Serpyllum: The largest section, throughout whole region, apart from Madeira and Azores, includes T. comosus, T. doerfleri, T. herba-barona, T. longicaulis, T. pannonicus, T. praecox, T. pulegioides, T. quinquecostatus, T. richardii, T. serpyllum, T. sibthorpii and T. thracicus
Cultivation
Thymus is cultivated for its fragrant leaves and used as a culinary herb in mediterranean cooking.[15]
^Patel, Vinood B.; Preedy, Victor R. (2020). Toxicology: oxidative stress and dietary antioxidants. London: Academic press, an imprint of Elsevier.
ISBN978-0-12-819092-0.
^Kuete, Victor (2017). Medicinal spices and vegetables from Africa: therapeutic potential against metabolic, inflammatory, infectious and systemic diseases. [Amsterdam] London: Elsevier Academic press.
ISBN978-0-12-809286-6.