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Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Flowering Plants

Thymus vulgaris, the species most commonly cultivated under the name thyme, is a culinary herb of the mint family Lamiaceae native to Southeast Europe, grown for the dried aerial parts used in cooking, medicine and ornamental planting. The wider genus Thymus is native to Mediterranean regions including North Africa, the Levant and Southern Europe, with wild thyme thought to have originated in the Levant. The herb carries a long history: ancient Egyptians used it in embalming, the Greeks burned it as temple incense and bathed with it as a symbol of courage, Romans spread it through Europe to purify rooms and flavor cheeses and liqueurs, and medieval Europeans placed it under pillows for sleep and on coffins as a symbol of safe passage to the afterlife. Today it remains a standard component of the French seasoning blends bouquet garni and herbes de Provence, central to Mediterranean cooking.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Photosynthetic Autotroph 1
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 2
Relationship to People
Used in Traditional Medicine 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 3
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G5 Secure 4
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 5
Scientific Name
Thymus vulgaris 3
Conservation Status
Least Concern 3
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Lamiaceae, Taxa
Source Thymus vulgaris (Wikidata)

In Biome

Chaparral, Biomes
Source Plants For A Future: Thymus vulgaris

In Ecosystem

Doñana, Ecosystems
Source Wikidata: European Rabbit
Additional Source Doñana National Park (Wikipedia)Article text
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Algeria

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Australia

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Austria

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Belgium

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Brazil

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Colombia

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Croatia

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Cuba

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Czechia

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Denmark

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Dominican Republic

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Ecuador

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Estonia

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France

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Germany

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Haiti

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Ireland

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Italy

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New Zealand

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North America

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Norway

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Seychelles

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Spain

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Sweden

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Switzerland

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United Kingdom

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United States

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Sources
1. Thymus vulgaris (Wikipedia)
  • Lead paragraph: Thymus vulgaris (common thyme, German thyme, garden thyme or just thyme) is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae.
  • Human use: used-in-traditional-medicine
    It is also the main source of the herb thyme, used as an ingredient in cooking and as a herbal medicine.
View the Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
3. Thymus vulgaris (Wikidata)
Wikidata
  • Wikidata Q148668 (P225 taxon name)
  • Wikidata P141 (IUCN conservation status) claim, entity QID Q148668
  • Statements section, conservation status (P141)
    IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): least concern.
  • Child Taxon Of: Lamiaceae, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
4. NatureServe Explorer: Thymus vulgaris
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "G5"
View the Source
5. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Lamiales
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12396
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 12396
"cites_listing":"II/III/NC","eu_listing":"B/C/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Plantae","phylum":null,"class":null,"order":"Lamiales","family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[],"cites_listings":[]
View the Source
Doñana National Park (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIn Ecosystem: Doñana, Article text
Quote, In Ecosystem: Doñana, Article text
bulrush, common fern, sage-leaved rock rose, rushes, labiérnago (Phillyrea angustifolia), sea spurge, mastic, sedge, palm, pine, Scotch broom, rosemary, juniper, gorse, thyme, spurge and
View the Source
Plants For A Future: Thymus vulgaris
Plants For A FutureIn Biome: Chaparral, Habitats
Quote, In Biome: Chaparral, Habitats
Dry slopes, rocks and maquis. Always found on clay or limestone soils
View the Source
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