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Thymus serpyllum L.

Creeping thyme (en), Serpolet à feuilles étroites (fr), Thym Serpolet (fr), Thym serpolet (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Lamiales > Lamiaceae > Thymus

Characteristics

Diffusely branched, mat-forming perennial, rooting at the nodes; stems woody at base; fl stems ± erect, to 1 dm, hairy all around; lvs linear to subrotund, in our wild forms commonly elliptic to oblong-ovate or oblong-obovate, 5–10 mm, short-petioled; fls aggregated into a continuous or interrupted terminal “spike” 1–4(–15) cm; cal 3–4 mm; cor purple, 4–6 mm; 2n=24+. Native of Europe, commonly cult. and escaped into upland woods and fields; N.S. to w. N.Y. and Ont., s. to W.Va. and N.C. June–Sept.
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A creeping herb. It is variable and lies along the ground. It forms mats and is 7-15 cm high. The stems are slender and creeping. The leaves are oval or narrow and softly hairy. They are 4-8 mm long. The flowers are pink or purple. They grow in rounded heads. There are many different cultivated varieties.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread epizoochory
Mature width (meter) 0.3 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.1 - 0.25
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) 1.5
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It is best in well-drained soils and in an open sunny position. It is resistant to drought and frost. It suits plant hardiness zones 4-9. Hobart Botanical Gardens.
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Dry stony ground, open sandy heaths and grassland in East Anglia.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 1-6
Soil texture 3-5
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 5-8

Usage

The leaves and flowers are dried and used to prepare a drink. The shoots are used as flavouring. They are used fresh or dried as flavouring in salads, sauces, and other dishes.
Uses environmental use essential oil material medicinal seasoning
Edible flowers leaves
Therapeutic use Headache (leaf), Anthelmintics (seed), Antiseptic (unspecified), Carminative (unspecified), Catarrh (unspecified), Convulsion (unspecified), Cordial (unspecified), Emmenagogue (unspecified), Epilepsy (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified), Pertussis (unspecified), Radiculagia (unspecified), Sedative (unspecified), Skin (unspecified), Spasm (unspecified), Stomachic (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Tumor (unspecified), Vermifuge (unspecified), Eruption (unspecified), Astringent (unspecified), Depurative (unspecified), Hair (unspecified), Lung (unspecified), Nervine (unspecified), Toothache (unspecified), Anti-bacterial agents (unspecified), Antifungal agents (unspecified), Anti-infective agents, local (unspecified), Antiviral agents (unspecified), Bronchitis (unspecified), Common cold (unspecified), Expectorants (unspecified), Hypnotics and sedatives (unspecified), Parasympatholytics (unspecified), Stomatitis (unspecified), Whooping cough (unspecified), Flatulence (whole plant), Liver injury (whole plant), Menstruation (whole plant), Parasympatholytics (whole plant), General tonic for rejuvenation (whole plant), Skin diseases (whole plant), Stomach diseases (whole plant), Toothache (whole plant), Urination disorders (whole plant), Vision disorders (whole plant)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by division.
Mode cuttings divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) 15 - 30
Germination temperacture (C°) 16
Germination luminosity light
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -29
Optimum temperature (C°) 11 - 22
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Thymus serpyllum habit picture by Theo Theo Roche (cc-by-sa)
Thymus serpyllum habit picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)
Thymus serpyllum habit picture by Myriam Chavel (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Thymus serpyllum leaf picture by Florent Portalez (cc-by-sa)
Thymus serpyllum leaf picture by Thomas Lecante (cc-by-sa)
Thymus serpyllum leaf picture by Kampf Robert (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Thymus serpyllum flower picture by Philippe RIVIERRE (cc-by-sa)
Thymus serpyllum flower picture by Milan (cc-by-sa)
Thymus serpyllum flower picture by Sandrine Vaya (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Thymus serpyllum fruit picture by Sarah Smadja (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Thymus serpyllum world distribution map, present in Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Finland, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and Ukraine

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30066276-2
WFO ID wfo-0000324739
COL ID 56RDY
BDTFX ID 75414
INPN ID 126573
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Thymus serpyllum f. bergtianus Thymus serpyllum f. tristis Thymus serpyllum f. trichophorus Thymus calcicola Thymus acicularis Thymus angustifolius Thymus azoricus Thymus campestris Thymus glabrescens Thymus incanus Thymus inodorus Thymus oblongifolius Thymus rigidus Thymus serpyllum Thymus villosus Origanum serpyllum Thymus ellipticus Thymus flagellicaulis Thymus lucidus Thymus repens Thymus rotundifolius Thymus serpyllum f. rigidiformis Thymus serpyllum f. floribundus Thymus serpyllum f. arrectifolius Thymus serpyllum f. tardus Thymus citratus Thymus micranthus Serpyllum vulgare Thymus angustifolius var. rigidus Thymus dalmaticus var. carstiensis Thymus angustifolius var. empetroides Thymus angustifolius var. ericoides Thymus angustifolius var. linearifolius Thymus serpyllum var. pycnotrichus Thymus angustifolius var. silvicola Thymus spathulatus var. castriferrei Thymus chamaedrys var. rotundifolius Thymus serpyllum var. angustifolius Thymus angustifolius var. inolens Thymus serpyllum var. inodorus Thymus serpyllum var. subcitratus Thymus serpyllum var. reflexus Thymus serpyllum subsp. angustifolius Thymus serpyllum var. danaenii Thymus serpyllum var. silvicola Thymus serpyllum var. vallesiacus Thymus serpyllum subsp. rigidus Thymus ovatus var. subcitratus Thymus ovatus var. concolor Thymus serpyllum var. exserens Thymus serpyllum var. hirsutissimus Thymus angustifolius var. intermedius Thymus serpyllum subsp. subcitratus Thymus serpyllum var. pachyderma Thymus serpyllum var. empetroides Thymus serpyllum var. ericoides Thymus serpyllum var. linearifolius Thymus serpyllum var. majus Thymus serpyllum f. ellipticus Thymus serpyllum f. hackelianus Thymbra ciliata Thymus serpyllum subsp. pycnotrichus Thymus serpyllum var. serpyllum Thymus angustifolius var. pycnotrichus

Lower taxons

Thymus serpyllum subsp. serpyllum Thymus serpyllum subsp. tanaensis
WorldFloraDB 2024