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About 350 species, including:
Thymus adamovicii
Thymus altaicus
Thymus amurensis
Thymus bracteosus
Thymus broussonetii
Thymus caespititius
Thymus camphoratus
Thymus capitatus
Thymus capitellatus
Thymus camphoratus
Thymus carnosus
Thymus cephalotus
Thymus cherlerioides
Thymus ciliatus
Thymus cilicicus
Thymus cimicinus
Thymus comosus
Thymus comptus
Thymus curtus
Thymus disjunctus
Thymus doerfleri
Thymus glabrescens
Thymus herba-barona
Thymus hirsutus
Thymus hyemalis
Thymus inaequalis
Thymus integer
Thymus lanuginosus
Thymus leucotrichus
Thymus longicaulis
Thymus longiflorus
Thymus mandschuricus
Thymus marschallianus
Thymus mastichina
Thymus membranaceus
Thymus mongolicus
Thymus montanus
Thymus moroderi Thymus nervulosus
Thymus nummularis
Thymus odoratissimus
Thymus pallasianus
Thymus pannonicus
Thymus praecox
Thymus proximus
Thymus pseudolanuginosus
Thymus pulegioides
Thymus quinquecostatus
Thymus richardii
Thymus serpyllum
Thymus striatus
Thymus thracicus
Thymus villosus
Thymus vulgaris
Thymus zygis
Thyme (Thymus) Pronounced ˈtīm also ˈthīm (source - Merriam-Webster & Encyclopedia Britannica) is a genus of about 350 species of aromatic perennial herbaceous plants and sub-shrubs to 40 cm tall, in the family Lamiaceae and native to Europe, North Africa and Asia. A number of species have different chemotypes. The stems tend to be narrow or even wiry; the leaves are evergreen in most species, arranged in opposite pairs, oval, entire, and small, 4-20 mm long. The flowers are in dense terminal heads, with an uneven calyx, with the upper lip three-lobed, and the lower cleft; the corolla is tubular, 4-10 mm long, and white, pink or purple.
Thymus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera 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).
Ancient Egyptians used thyme in embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing that thyme was a source of courage. It was thought that the spread of thyme throughout Europe was thanks to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms. In the European Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. (Huxley 1992). In this period, women would also often give knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.[1]
Thyme is widely cultivated as it was grown for its strong flavour, which is due to its content of thymol.[2]
Thyme likes a hot sunny location with good-draining soil. It is planted in the spring and thereafter grows as a perennial. It can be propagated by seed, cuttings, or by dividing rooted sections of the plant. It tolerates drought well.[3]
Thyme retains its flavour on drying better than many other herbs.
