T hymus Serpyllum. C ommon W ild T hyme*
THYMUS Linncei Gen. Pi. Didynämia G ymnöspeRmia.
Calycis bilabiati faux villis claufa.
Raii Syn. Gen. Suffrutices et herb.« v e rtic illä t At.
THYMUS Serpyllum floribus capitatis, caulibus repentibüs, foliis planis obtufis, bafi cilfatisj
Linncei Syft. Vegetab. p. 452.
THYMUS foliis ovatis ad bafin ciliatis. Haller hiß. n. 235.
THYMUS Serpyllum. Scopoli FI. Carniol. n. 736.
SERPYLLUM vulgare minus. Bauhin. Pin. 220.
SERPYLLUM vulgare. Gerard emac. gqo.
SERPYLLUM vulgare minus. P'arkinfon 8. Raii Syn. p. 230, Common Mother of Thyme.
Hudfon Fl. Angl. p. 229. 1
RADIX lighofa, fibrofa, fufca, perennis. |>
CAU'LES numerofi, quadrangulares, duriufculi, pro- \
cumbentes, ramofi, ramis altemis. |
FOLIA ovata, petiolata, integerrima, plerumque læ- ?
• via, glandulis pun&ata, petiolis ciliatis, f
fig- 1* 2. I
; ' ; " ■ . 0
FLORES in fummitatibus caulium verticillatim dif- $
pofiti, et in capitulis fubrotundis congefti. |
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, tubulatum, $
ftriatum, fauce villis claufo, fig. 9, femibifi- ?
dum in duo labia, labium fuperius Iatius, tri- $
dèntatum, dentibus reflexis; inferius bifetum G
dentibus ciliatis, fig. 3, 4, g. f
A COROLLA monopetala; T ubuslongitudine fetarum X
calycis, labium fuperius reflexum, emargi- $
natum, obtufum, inferius trifidum, longius, |
. laciniis obtufis medio longiore, fig. 6. $
STAMINA: Filament a quatuor inæqualia ; A n- 0
theræ minimæ, fig. 7.
PISTILLUM: G ermen quadripartitum ; Stylus a
Corolla longior, recurvatus ; Stigma bifi- |
dum, acutum, fig. 8. |
SEMINA quatuor, parva, fubrotunda, fufca, fig, 10, <>
t ■ ■ ■ . ' J 0 <>
ROOT woody, fibrous, o f a brown colour, and perennial.
STALKS numerous, fquarei hard, procumbent, and
branched • the branches alternate.
LEAVES oval, Handing on foot-ftalks, entire at the
edges* generally fmooth, dotted with little
glands ; the fdot-ftalks furnilhed with long
hairs, fig. 1 ,2 ..
FLOWERS placed in whirls on the tops of the ftalks,
arid forming fmall roundifh heads.
CALYX: a Perianthium. of one leaf, tubular, ftri-
ated, the mouth clofed up With hairs* fig. a,
divided into two lips; the uppermoft having
three teeth which bend back; the lowermoft
two, much longer, narrower, and edged with
hairs, fig. 3, 4, gi
COROLLA monopetalous : the T ube the length of
the Calyx; the upper lip turningback, notched
in and blunt; the lowermoft longer, divided
into three fegments, the fegments ob-
tufe, the middle one longeft, fig. 6.
STAMINA: four F il am en t s .o f unequal lengths:
A ntheRjE very minute, 7.
PISTILLUM: G ermen dividing into four parts;
Sty le longer than the Corolla, and turning
upwards; S tigma bifid and pointed, fig. 8.
SEEDS four, fmall, roundifli, of a brown colour,
fig- 10* 31.
Few plants are fubjea to fo many varieties as the Wild Thyme. In its moft natural ftate, when found on
dry.expofed downs* it is fmall and procumbent: when growing among furze or other plants, which afford it
lhelter, it runs up with a flender ftalk to a foot or more in height, and alfumes an appearance which might
puzzle the young Botanift. It differs alfo very much in the fmoothnefs and hairinefs o f its leaves : and thefe
is a Angular variety of it, remarkèd by L inN^us, with woolly heads (Capitulis tomentofis) which are thé nidus
of fome infea. We have feen whole banks covered with this turgid variety. The Veronica Chamctdrys, Glechoma
Hederacea,(Valeriana Locufia, and other plants, are frequently diftorted, and appear under the fame difguife
from a fimilar caufe. • 6
On dry chalky downs, the Wild Thyme abounds all over England ; flowering in July and Auguft.
It has been a received opinion, that Thyme, and other aromatic herbs, give a flavour to theflelh of fheep
that feed where thefe plants are found.: but curious obfervers have remarked, that fheep neither eat Thyme
nor any other aromatic herb, when they'have a free choice o f pafturage*.
The Ancients planted Thyme for the fake of their bees, who col left honey very largely from i t ; which
at that period was of more value than at prefent: the cultivation o f fugar in the Wefl-India Iflands has
contributed much to reduce its confequence in domeftic Geconomy.
T heophrastus relates, that Thyme produced no feed-that could be difcovered; but that the plant might
ip ^c^aled by lowing its flowers. Pliny copies this paffage from T heophrastus ; and, inftead o f doubting
the tact, remarks, “ quid non ientavere homines What experiments have not mankind tried ? The credulity
ot the. Ancients is very wonderful! Whatever one Author advanced, the next took for granted, to the great
detriment of natural hiftory.— Inveftigation was never thought o f !
A rmstrong, in his elegant and claflical poem on health* recommends the foil where this plant
( lfiyme or Marjoram), abounds* as particularly healthful, and proper for habitations*
- ----- . “ Mark where the dry champaign
,t( Swells into cheerful hills ; where Marjoram
“ And Thyme, the love of bees, perfume the air.
“ There bid thy roofs, high on the bafking Jleep
“ Afcend: there light thy hofpitable fires.
See Account of Sheep-Walks in Spain, Gent. Mag. 1764.