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WILD THYME

Thymus serpyllum L
Description
Herbaceous, slightly scented, cespitose, perennial and polymorphous plant of procumbent branches of which many subspecies and varieties can be found. Ligneous and creeping stems, about 5 cm, that turn erect at the top. Small leaves, 4-6 mm, sessile, oval-oblong, flat and ciliate at the base (in common thyme or garden thyme, leaves are recurved at the margins and whitish beneath). Thyme shows several degrees of hairiness, there are even glabrous wild thymes and other very downy; however the hair never covers the stem nor the leaves beneath until the point of giving them a whitish look we find in common thyme. Flowered stems are quadrangular with two of the opposite sides densely pubescent, the other two are hairless or almost hairless. Small pink or purple flowers, 3-6 mm long. Calyx, 4 mm with ciliate teeth, grouped in a short, oval-shaped terminal inflorescence. It belongs to the Labiatae family.

It starts blooming in May. There are many species of wild thyme with different morphological characteristics, therefore describing all of them would be very complicated. The most relevant characteristic is the scent of their leaves and flower apex. Its effectiveness and quality vary from one lineage to the other, in some of them we can find an agreeable scent similar to lemon or lemon balm.

Origin: The species is distributed nearly all Europe; the commercial drug comes mainly from Eastern Europe countries.

Habitat and cultivation: Dry and arid lands, sandy or stony ground, low land or hills and mountain slopes up to 2,600 m; it is mostly found in the Pyrenees and northern half of Spain, but goes as far as Sierra Nevada. Its harvesting starts in June.

Part used

Flowered stems.

Indications

Internal use

  • Respiratory disorders: bronchitis, colds, flu, whooping cough, sinusitis, pharyngitis, repetitive cough.
  • Digestive disorders: dyspepsia, flatulence, meteorism, gastrointestinal spasms, indigestion, lack of appetite, etc.
  • Urinary tract disorders: cystitis, nephritis, urolithiasis.
  • Return blood circulation disorders: varicose veins, hemorrhoids, capillary fragility, edemas.

External use

  • Skin lesions and infections.
  • Stomatitis.
  • Vulvovaginitis.
  • It is often used in antirheumatic and muscle relaxing baths.

Bibliography

- British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, 1983.

- Plantas Medicinales. Thérapeutique-Toxicité. Christiane Vigneau. Masson, Paris 1985.

- Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. Norman Grainger Bisset (Ed). Max Wichtl. CRC Press.1994.

- Plantas Medicinales y Drogas Vegetales para infusión y tisana. Edición española a cargo de: Salvador Cañogueral, Roser Vila, Max Wichtl.1998.

- Matière Médicale. RR Paris- H. Moyse. Masson 1981.

- Fitoterapia: Vademecum de Prescripción. Plantas Medicinales. Colaboran: Asociación española de médicos naturistas. Colegio Oficial de Farmacéuticos de Vizcaya.

- Plantas Medicinales. El Dioscórides Renovado. Pio Font Quer.

- Guía de Campo de las Flores de Europa. Oleg Polunin. Ediciones Omega S.A. Barcelona, 1977.

- Plantas Medicinales. Margarita Fernandez y Ana Nieto. Ed Universidad de Navarra. EUNSA 1982.

-The Complete German Commission E Monographs. Therapeutic Guide To Herbal Medicines. Mark Blumenthal. American Botanical Council 1998.

- Fitoterapia Aplicada. J.B. Peris, G. Stübing, B.Vanaclocha. Colegio Oficial de Farmacéuticos de Valencia 1995.

- Bézanger-Beauquesne, L; Pinkas, M; Torck, M. Les Plantes dans la Therapeutique Moderne. 2ª. Paris: Maloine, 1986, pp. 418-9.

- Bézanger-Beauquesne, L; Pinkas, M; Torck, M; Trotin, F. Plantes Médicinales des Regions Tempérées. Paris: Maloine, 1980, p. 344.

- Bruneton, J. Elementos de Fitoquímica y Farmacognosia. Zaragoza: Acribia, 1991, p.254.

- Rivera, D; Obón, C. La Guía Incafo de las Plantas Útiles y Venenosas de la Península Ibérica y Baleares. Madrid: Incafo, 1991, pp.135; 871-2.

- Trease, GE; Evans, WCh. Farmacognosia. México D.F.: Interamericana--MacGraw-Hill, 1991, p. 465.

- Van Hellemont, J. Compendium de Phytotherapie. Bruxelles: Association Pharmaceutique Belge, 1986, pp. 396-7.

- Villar, L; Palacín, JM; Calvo, C; Gómez, D; Montserrat, G. Plantas Medicinales del Pirineo Aragonés y demás tierrras oscenses. 2ª. Huesca: Diputación Provincial, 1992, p. 233.