357 Species of Genus Thymus

The Wonderful World of Thyme: A Personal Exploration by Ferb Vu

The scent of thyme always takes me back to my grandmother’s garden. The tiny, fragrant leaves, crushed between my fingers, released a wave of aroma that mingled with the warm summer air. It was a smell that spoke of comfort, of home-cooked meals, and of a love for nature that my grandmother instilled in me from a young age. This early fascination led me to explore the world of thyme, a journey that continues to this day.

Thyme, scientifically classified under the genus Thymus, is a treasure trove of diversity. This genus encompasses a vast array of aromatic perennial herbs and subshrubs, each with its own unique characteristics and charm. They belong to the mint family, Lamiaceae, which explains their intense fragrance and culinary appeal. Native to the Old World, particularly the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa, and Asia, thyme thrives in sunny, well-drained environments.  

A Diverse Genus

The Thymus genus boasts over 350 species, a testament to its remarkable adaptability and evolutionary success. Some of the most well-known species include:  

1. Thymus adamovicii Velen.
2. Thymus × aitanae Mateo, M.B.Crespo & E.Laguna
3. Thymus alatauensis (Klokov & Des.-Shost.) Klokov
4. Thymus albicans Hoffmanns. & Link
5. Thymus × alcarazii Pedauyé, Perales & P.P.Ferrer
6. Thymus alfredae Post
7. Thymus algeriensis Boiss. & Reut.
8. Thymus × almeriensis G.López & R.Morales
9. Thymus × almijarensis Ruíz Torre & Ruíz Cast.
10. Thymus alpestris Tausch ex A.Kern.
11. Thymus altaicus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
12. Thymus alternans Klokov
13. Thymus amurensis Klokov
14. Thymus antoninae Rouy & Coincy
15. Thymus × aragonensis Mateo, M.B.Crespo & N.E.Mercadal
16. Thymus × arcanus G.López & R.Morales
17. Thymus × arcuatus R.Morales
18. Thymus × arenarius Bernh. ex Rchb.
19. Thymus argaeus (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Boiss. & Balansa
20. Thymus armeniacus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
21. Thymus × armuniae R.Morales
22. Thymus arsenijevii Klokov
23. Thymus artvinicus Ponert
24. Thymus × arundanus Willk.
25. Thymus × athous Ronniger
26. Thymus atlanticus (Ball) Pau
27. Thymus atticus Čelak.
28. Thymus × aveyronensis H.J.Coste & Soulié
29. Thymus aznavourii Velen.
30. Thymus baeticus Boiss. ex Lacaita
31. Thymus baicalensis Serg.
32. Thymus baseri D.Öztürk, Yaylacı, O.Koyuncu & Ocak
33. Thymus bashkiriensis Klokov & Des.-Shost.
34. Thymus × beltraniae Socorro, Espinar & Arrebola
35. Thymus × benitorum Mateo, Mercadal & Pisco
36. Thymus × bermius Ronniger
37. Thymus bihoriensis Jalas
38. Thymus bivalens (Mayol, L.Sáez & Rosselló) Camarda
39. Thymus bleicherianus Pomel
40. Thymus boissieri Halácsy
41. Thymus × bolosii Riera, Güemes & Rosselló
42. Thymus bornmuelleri Velen.
43. Thymus borysthenicus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
44. Thymus × borzygis Mateo & M.B.Crespo
45. Thymus bovei Benth.
46. Thymus × brachychaetus (Willk.) Cout.
47. Thymus brachychilus Jalas
48. Thymus bracteatus Lange ex Cutanda
49. Thymus bracteosus Vis. ex Benth.
50. Thymus × bractichina R.Morales
51. Thymus × braunii Borbás
52. Thymus brevipetiolatus Cáp
53. Thymus broussonetii Boiss.
54. Thymus bulgaricus (Domin & Podp.) Ronniger
55. Thymus × bulsanensis (Ronniger) Machule
56. Thymus caespititius Brot.
57. Thymus calcareus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
58. Thymus callieri Borbás ex Velen.
59. Thymus camphoratus Hoffmanns. & Link
60. Thymus canoviridis Jalas
61. Thymus capitellatus Hoffmanns. & Link
62. Thymus cappadocicus Boiss.
63. Thymus cariensis Hub.-Mor. & Jalas
64. Thymus carmanicus Jalas
65. Thymus carnosus Boiss.
66. Thymus × carrionii F.Sáez & Sánchez Gómez
67. Thymus catharinae Camarda
68. Thymus × celtibericus Pau
69. Thymus chamarensis Vasjukov
70. Thymus cherlerioides Vis.
71. Thymus cilicicus Boiss. & Balansa
72. Thymus × cimicinus Blum ex Ledeb.
73. Thymus × citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb.
74. Thymus comosus Heuff. ex Griseb. & Schenk
75. Thymus comptus Friv.
76. Thymus convolutus Klokov
77. Thymus coriifolius Ronniger
78. Thymus crebrifolius Klokov
79. Thymus × cremnophilus Káp
80. Thymus crenulatus Klokov
81. Thymus curtus Klokov
82. Thymus × czorsztynensis Pawł.
83. Thymus dacicus Borbás
84. Thymus daenensis Čelak.
85. Thymus daghestanicus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
86. Thymus dahuricus Serg.
87. Thymus decussatus Benth.
88. Thymus degenii Heinr.Braun
89. Thymus desjatovae Ronniger
90. Thymus × diazii Alcaraz, Rivas Mart. & Sánchez-Gómez
91. Thymus diminutus Klokov
92. Thymus × dimorphus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
93. Thymus disjunctus Klokov
94. Thymus dmitrievae Gamajun.
95. Thymus doerfleri Ronniger
96. Thymus dolomiticus H.J.Coste
97. Thymus dolopicus Formánek
98. Thymus dreatensis Batt.
99. Thymus dubjanskyi Klokov & Des.-Shost.
100. Thymus dzalindensis Prob.
101. Thymus dzevanovskyi Klokov & Des.-Shost.
102. Thymus eigii (Zohary & P.H.Davis) Jalas
103. Thymus ekimii Yıld.
104. Thymus elegans Serg.
105. Thymus elenevskyi Vasjukov
106. Thymus × eliasii Sennen & Pau
107. Thymus elisabethae Klokov & Des.-Shost.
108. Thymus embergeri Roussine
109. Thymus × enicensis Blanca, Cueto, L.Gut. & M.J.Martínez
110. Thymus eravinensis Serg.
111. Thymus eremita Klokov
112. Thymus eriocalyx (Ronniger) Jalas
113. Thymus evenkiensis Byczenn.
114. Thymus extremus Klokov
115. Thymus fallax Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
116. Thymus × faustinoi Sánchez-Gómez, López Esp., Sánchez Saorín & R.Mora
117. Thymus fedtschenkoi Ronniger
118. Thymus flabellatus Klokov
119. Thymus fontqueri (Jalas) Molero & Rovira
120. Thymus funkii Coss.
121. Thymus × genesianus Galán Cela
122. Thymus × georgicus Ronniger
123. Thymus glabrescens Willd.
124. Thymus glabricaulis Klokov
125. Thymus gobi-altaicus (N.Ulziykh.) Kamelin & A.L.Budantzev
126. Thymus gobicus Tscherneva
127. Thymus granatensis Boiss.
128. Thymus groenlandicus Klokov
129. Thymus guberlinensis Iljin
130. Thymus × guerrae F.Sáez & Sánchez Gómez
131. Thymus guyonii de Noé
132. Thymus hartvigii R.Morales
133. Thymus haussknechtii Velen.
134. Thymus helendzhicus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
135. Thymus × henriquesii Pau
136. Thymus × henryi Ronniger
137. Thymus herba-barona Loisel.
138. Thymus × hieronymi Sennen
139. Thymus hohenackeri Klokov
140. Thymus holosericeus Čelak.
141. Thymus × hybridus Ronniger
142. Thymus hyemalis Lange
143. Thymus × ibericus Sennen & Pau
144. Thymus iljinii Klokov & Des.-Shost.
145. Thymus inaequalis Klokov
146. Thymus incertus Klokov
147. Thymus × indalicus Blanca, Cueto, L.Gut. & M.J.Martínez
148. Thymus indigirkensis Karav.
149. Thymus integer Griseb.
150. Thymus jalasianus Stoyanov & Marinov
151. Thymus jankae Čelak.
152. Thymus japonicus (H.Hara) Kitag.
153. Thymus jenisseensis Iljin
154. Thymus × jimenezii Socorro, Arrebola & Espinar
155. Thymus × josephi-angeli Mansanet & Aguil.
156. Thymus jurtzevii Vasjukov
157. Thymus kamelinii Vasjukov
158. Thymus karamarianicus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
159. Thymus karatavicus Dmitrieva
160. Thymus karavaevii Doronkin
161. Thymus karjaginii Grossh.
162. Thymus kimishepensis Klokov
163. Thymus kirgisorum Dubj.
164. Thymus koeieanus Ronniger
165. Thymus komarovii Serg.
166. Thymus kondratjukii V.M.Ostapko
167. Thymus × korneckii Machule
168. Thymus kosteleckyanus Opiz
169. Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. & Hohen.
170. Thymus krylovii Byczenn.
171. Thymus lacaitae Pau
172. Thymus laconicus Jalas
173. Thymus ladjanuricus Kem.-Nath.
174. Thymus × lainzii Sánchez-Gómez, S.Fernández Jimenez & F.Sáez
175. Thymus lanceolatus Desf.
176. Thymus lavrenkoanus Klokov
177. Thymus lenensis Vasjukov
178. Thymus leptophyllus Lange
179. Thymus leucospermus Hartvig
180. Thymus leucostomus Hausskn. & Velen.
181. Thymus leucotrichus Halácsy
182. Thymus levitskyi Prob.
183. Thymus linearis Benth.
184. Thymus × littoralis Klokov & Des.-Shost.
185. Thymus longedentatus (Degen & Urum.) Ronniger
186. Thymus longicaulis C.Presl
187. Thymus longiflorus Boiss.
188. Thymus loscosii Willk.
189. Thymus lotocephalus G.López & R.Morales
190. Thymus magnificus Klokov
191. Thymus majkopiensis Klokov & Des.-Shost.
192. Thymus malyschevii Vasjukov, Krivenko & Kazan.
193. Thymus mandschuricus Ronniger
194. Thymus marandensis Jamzad
195. Thymus markhotensis Maleev
196. Thymus maroccanus Ball
197. Thymus × martinezii Pau
198. Thymus mastichina (L.) L.
199. Thymus × mastichinalis Sánchez-Gómez & F.Sáez
200. Thymus mastigophorus Lacaita
201. Thymus membranaceus Boiss.
202. Thymus menitskyi Vasjukov
203. Thymus × mercadalii Mateo & Pisco
204. Thymus michaelis Kamelin & A.L.Budantzev
205. Thymus migricus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
206. Thymus minussinensis Serg.
207. Thymus × mixtus Pau
208. Thymus moldavicus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
209. Thymus mongolicus (Ronniger) Ronniger
210. Thymus × monrealensis Pau ex R.Morales
211. Thymus × monteilii Sennen ex Machule
212. Thymus × moralesii Mateo & M.B.Crespo
213. Thymus moroderi Pau ex Martínez
214. Thymus × mourae Paiva & Salgueiro
215. Thymus mugodzharicus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
216. Thymus munbyanus Boiss. & Reut.
217. Thymus musilii Velen.
218. Thymus nakhodkensis Gorovoj & Dudkin
219. Thymus narymensis Serg.
220. Thymus nerczensis Klokov
221. Thymus nervosus J.Gay ex Willk.
222. Thymus nervulosus Klokov
223. Thymus neurophyllus (Rech.f.) R.Morales
224. Thymus nitens Lamotte
225. Thymus × novocastellanus Mateo, M.B.Crespo & Pisco
226. Thymus novograblenovii Prob.
227. Thymus numidicus Poir.
228. Thymus nummularius M.Bieb.
229. Thymus × nuriensis Sennen & Pau
230. Thymus × oblongifolius Opiz
231. Thymus ochotensis Klokov
232. Thymus oehmianus Ronniger & Soska
233. Thymus oenipontanus Heinr.Braun ex Borbás
234. Thymus origanoides Webb & Berthel.
235. Thymus oriolanus M.Fabregat & M.B.Crespo
236. Thymus orospedanus Villar
237. Thymus osseticus Vasjukov
238. Thymus pallasianus Heinr.Braun
239. Thymus pallescens de Noé
240. Thymus pallidus Coss. ex Batt.
241. Thymus pannonicus All.
242. Thymus × paradoxus Rouy
243. Thymus parnassicus Halácsy
244. Thymus paronychioides Čelak.
245. Thymus pastoralis Iljin
246. Thymus × pastoris Socorro & Arrebola
247. Thymus pavlovii Serg.
248. Thymus pectinatus Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
249. Thymus perinicus (Velen.) Jalas
250. Thymus persicus (Ronniger ex Rech.f.) Jalas
251. Thymus petraeus Serg.
252. Thymus phyllopodus Klokov
253. Thymus picentinus (Lacaita) Bartolucci
254. Thymus piperella L.
255. Thymus plasonii Adamovic
256. Thymus × porcii Borbás
257. Thymus praecox Opiz
258. Thymus probatovae Vasjukov
259. Thymus proximus Serg.
260. Thymus × pseudoalpestris Ronniger ex Nachychko
261. Thymus pseudocollinus (Menitsky) Vasjukov
262. Thymus × pseudogranatensis Vizoso, F.B.Navarro & Lorite
263. Thymus × pseudograniticus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
264. Thymus pseudohirsutus Klokov
265. Thymus pseudopannonicus Klokov
266. Thymus × pseudostepposus Klokov
267. Thymus × pseudothracicus Ronniger
268. Thymus pubescens Boiss. & Kotschy ex Čelak.
269. Thymus pulchellus C.A.Mey.
270. Thymus pulcherrimus Schur
271. Thymus pulegioides L.
272. Thymus pulvinatus Čelak.
273. Thymus punctulosus Klokov
274. Thymus purpureoviolaceus Byczenn. & Kuvaev
275. Thymus putoranicus Byczenn. & Kuvaev
276. Thymus quinquecostatus Čelak.
277. Thymus × radoi Borbás
278. Thymus × ramonianus Paiva & Salgueiro
279. Thymus rasitatus Klokov
280. Thymus reverdattoanus Serg.
281. Thymus revolutus Čelak.
282. Thymus riatarum Humbert & Maire
283. Thymus richardii Pers.
284. Thymus × riojanus Uribe-Ech.
285. Thymus roegneri K.Koch
286. Thymus roseus Schipcz.
287. Thymus × royoi P.P.Ferrer, A.Navarro, P.Pérez & E.Laguna
288. Thymus × rubioi Font Quer
289. Thymus × ruiz-latorrei C.Vicioso
290. Thymus sachalinensis Prob.
291. Thymus samius Ronniger & Rech.f.
292. Thymus saturejoides Coss.
293. Thymus schimperi Ronniger
294. Thymus schischkinii Serg.
295. Thymus × schistosus Lyka
296. Thymus schlothauerae Prob.
297. Thymus × schmidtii Cáp
298. Thymus × segurae Mateo & M.B.Crespo
299. Thymus semiglaber Klokov
300. Thymus × sennenii Pau
301. Thymus seravschanicus Klokov
302. Thymus sergievskajae Karav.
303. Thymus serpylloides Bory
304. Thymus serpyllum L.
305. Thymus serrulatus Hochst. ex Benth.
306. Thymus sessilifolius Klokov
307. Thymus × severianoi Uribe-Ech.
308. Thymus sibiricus (Serg.) Klokov & Des.-Shost.
309. Thymus sibthorpii Benth.
310. Thymus sipyleus Boiss.
311. Thymus skopjensis Micevski & Matevski
312. Thymus sokolovii Klokov
313. Thymus spathulifolius Hausskn. & Velen.
314. Thymus spinulosus Ten.
315. Thymus stepposus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
316. Thymus stojanovii Degen
317. Thymus striatus Vahl
318. Thymus subcollinus Klokov
319. Thymus subextremus Vasjukov
320. Thymus × subhirsutus Borbás & Heinr.Braun
321. Thymus subnervosus Vved., Nabiev & Tulyag.
322. Thymus × subramosus Ronniger
323. Thymus substriatus Borbás
324. Thymus syriacus Boiss.
325. Thymus talijevii Klokov & Des.-Shost.
326. Thymus tauricus Klokov & Des.-Shost.
327. Thymus ternejicus Prob.
328. Thymus terskeicus Klokov
329. Thymus teucrioides Boiss. & Spruner
330. Thymus thracicus Velen.
331. Thymus tiflisiensis Klokov & Des.-Shost.
332. Thymus × toletanus Ladero
333. Thymus transcaspicus Klokov
334. Thymus transcaucasicus Ronniger
335. Thymus trautvetteri Klokov & Des.-Shost.
336. Thymus × tschernjaievii Klokov & Des.-Shost.
337. Thymus turczaninovii Serg.
338. Thymus turkmenii Yıld.
339. Thymus × tzvelevii Vasjukov
340. Thymus urumovii (Velen.) Vasjukov
341. Thymus urussovii Prob.
342. Thymus ussuriensis Klokov
343. Thymus × valdesii J.Gómez & R.Roselló
344. Thymus vavilovii Klokov
345. Thymus verchojanicus Doronkin
346. Thymus × viciosoi Pau ex R.Morales
347. Thymus villosus L.
348. Thymus × vitekii R.Morales
349. Thymus vulgaris L.
350. Thymus × welwitschii Boiss.
351. Thymus willdenowii Boiss.
352. Thymus willkommii Ronniger
353. Thymus × xilocae Mateo & M.B.Crespo
354. Thymus × zedelmejeri Ronniger
355. Thymus zygioides Griseb.
356. Thymus zygis L.
357. Thymus × zygophorus R.Morales

More Than Just a Culinary Herb

While thyme is celebrated for its culinary uses, its significance extends far beyond the kitchen. For centuries, thyme has been revered for its medicinal properties. Traditional medicine utilized thyme to treat respiratory ailments, digestive issues, and even skin infections. Modern research supports some of these traditional uses, highlighting thyme’s antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties.  

Thyme also plays a crucial role in the ecosystem. Its fragrant flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hoverflies, contributing to the health and biodiversity of the environment. Furthermore, some thyme species serve as larval food plants for certain butterfly species, underscoring their ecological importance.  

A Personal Connection

My own journey with thyme has been one of continuous learning and appreciation. I’ve experimented with different species in my garden, marveling at their resilience and adaptability. I’ve incorporated thyme into my cooking, discovering new ways to enhance flavors and create culinary delights. And I’ve delved into the scientific literature, gaining a deeper understanding of thyme’s chemical composition and its potential health benefits.

But beyond the practical applications, thyme holds a special place in my heart. It symbolizes a connection to nature, a reminder of my grandmother’s garden, and a source of endless fascination. The intricate beauty of its flowers, the intoxicating aroma of its leaves, and the resilience of its spirit all serve as a constant source of inspiration.

As I continue to explore the world of thyme, I am filled with a sense of wonder and gratitude. This humble herb, with its rich history and diverse applications, exemplifies the interconnectedness of nature and the profound impact it has on our lives. Whether in the garden, the kitchen, or the laboratory, thyme continues to captivate and inspire, reminding us of the beauty and complexity of the natural world.