Thymus vulgaris

Common thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

History thyme is mentioned in antiquity by Pliny and in the Middle Ages (12th century) from Hildegard von Bingen.

Common thyme is officinal, he was elected medicinal plant of the year 2006.

Features

The True Thyme is a perennial, highly branched shrub that reaches heights of growth of 10 to 40 centimeters. The branches are prostrate or ascending, square, woody and hairy short. The decussate leaves are sessile or short-stalked, narrow elliptical. Your top is gray-green, the underside hairy tomentose gray-white and rolled back the edge.

The small flowers are arranged in Scheinquirlen located in cylindrical heads at the ends of the branches. The five petals are white or pink and grow together to become a double lip crown. The upper lip is slightly bell-shaped, the lower lip has three broad lobes on. The fruits are spherical nut fruits.

The flowering period extends from May to October.

Occurrence

Originally, the Real thyme native to the western Mediterranean Europe. In Germany he was naturalized in several places.

Ingredients

There are six defined chemotypes of thyme rights. The distribution and frequency of the different chemotypes within a herd is particularly dependent on genetic and climatic conditions. The composition of the essential oils of chemotypes is always different, they are named according to their main ingredient. The types are:

• The geraniol chemotype
• The linalool chemotype
• The α -terpineol chemotype
• The trans - Thuyanol -4 -terpineol -4 chemotype
• The carvacrol chemotype
• The thymol - chemotype

Properties and applications

Thyme has been selected medicinal plant of the year 2006. As value adding ingredient of the medical use of essential thyme oil by the Commission E against catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, bronchitis and whooping cough has been recognized. Essential thyme oil has been proven in laboratory testing antiviral and antibacterial agent, but clinical studies on its effectiveness are lacking.

As thyme honey bees

The True Thyme is a pretty good bee pasture. On a passed with it area of ​​one hectare a honey yield 125-185 kg May arise per flowering season.

Culinary herb

The True Thyme is an important culinary herb. It can spice up a fresh, but also dried state, among other things, soups, stews, fish and meat dishes as well as sausages.