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19-563: Wild thyme grows in the Levant , where it might have been first cultivated. Ancient Egyptians used common thyme ( Thymus vulgaris ) for embalming . The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage . The spread of thyme throughout Europe was thought to be due to the Romans , as they used it to purify their rooms and to "give an aromatic flavour to cheese and liqueurs". In

38-503: A bluegrass lawn to xeriscape low to moderate foot traffic areas due to its tolerance for low water and poor soils. Creeping thyme has also been used to "upholster" herb seats, similar to camomile seats , and provide a fragrant surface to sit on. Several cultivars have been produced, of which 'Pink Chintz' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit . A miniature creeping form

57-568: A rare white, all 4–6 mm long and produced in clusters. The hardy plant tolerates some pedestrian traffic and produces odors ranging from heavily herbal to lightly lemon, depending on the variety. Wild thyme is a creeping dwarf evergreen shrub with woody stems and a taproot. It forms matlike plants that root from the nodes of the squarish, limp stems. The leaves are in opposite pairs, nearly stalkless, with linear elliptic round-tipped blades and untoothed margins. The plant sends up erect flowering shoots in summer. The usually pink or mauve flowers have

76-594: A tube-like calyx and an irregular straight-tubed, hairy corolla . The upper petal is notched and the lower one is larger than the two lateral petals and has three flattened lobes which form a lip. Each flower has four projecting stamens and two fused carpels. The fruit is a dry, four-chambered schizocarp . Wild thyme is native to the Palearctic realm of Europe and Asia. It is a plant of thin soils and can be found growing on sandy-soiled heaths, rocky outcrops, hills, banks, roadsides and riverside sand banks. Wild thyme

95-412: A variety of essential oils, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenes, and other compounds. The essential oils found in thyme include thymol , which is a major component responsible for the plant's antiseptic properties, and carvacrol, another primary component with similar functions. Other essential oils present are p-cymene, γ-terpinene, linalool, and 1,8-cineole. Gas chromatographic analysis reveals that

114-412: Is 'Elfin'. Antiseptic An antiseptic ( Greek : ἀντί , romanized :  anti , lit.   'against' and σηπτικός , sēptikos , 'putrefactive' ) is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue to reduce the possibility of sepsis , infection or putrefaction . Antiseptics are generally distinguished from antibiotics by

133-793: Is an active ingredient in various commercially produced mouthwashes , such as Listerine . Flavonoids in thyme include luteolin-7-O-glucoside, a glycoside known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as apigenin, quercetin, and kaempferol. Phenolic acids such as rosmarinic acid, which is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, along with caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, are also present in thyme. Triterpenes, such as oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, are part of thyme's composition, contributing to its overall health benefits. Additionally, thyme contains tannins, which contribute to its astringent properties, as well as saponins and other minor compounds. Thymus serpyllum Thymus serpyllum , known by

152-540: Is often available year-round. The fresh form is more flavourful but also less convenient; storage life is rarely more than a week. However, the fresh form can last many months if carefully frozen, and thyme retains its flavour on drying better than many other herbs. Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A sprig is a single stem snipped from the plant. It is composed of a woody stem with paired leaf or flower clusters ("leaves") spaced 15 to 25 millimetres ( 1 ⁄ 2 to 1 inch) apart. A recipe may measure thyme by

171-427: Is one of the plants on which both the common blue butterfly and large blue butterfly larvae feed and it is also attractive to bees. The oils of T. serpyllum contain thymol , carvacrol , limonene , paracymene , gamma-terpinene and beta-caryophyllene . Creeping and mounding variants of T. serpyllum are used as border plants and ground cover around gardens and stone paths. It may also be used to replace

190-421: The grayling ( T. thymallus , described in the 1758 edition of Systema Naturae by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus ), originates from the faint smell of thyme that emanates from the flesh. Thyme is best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well-drained soil. It is generally planted in the spring, and thereafter grows as a perennial . It can be propagated by seed, cuttings, or dividing rooted sections of

209-754: The 1860s. In 1867 Joseph Lister published seminal paper Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery , where he explained this reduction in terms of Louis Pasteur 's germ theory . Thus he was able to popularize the antiseptic surgical methods in the English-speaking world. Some of this work was anticipated by: Antiseptics can be subdivided into about eight classes of materials. These classes can be subdivided according to their mechanism of action: small molecules that indiscriminately react with organic compounds and kill microorganisms (peroxides, iodine, phenols) and more complex molecules that disrupt

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228-524: The 19th century through multiple individuals. Ignaz Semmelweis showed already in 1847-1848 that hand washing prior to delivery reduced puerperal fever . Despite this, many hospitals continued to practice surgery in unsanitary conditions, with some surgeons taking pride in their bloodstained operating gowns. Only a decade later the situation started to change, when some French surgeons started to adopt carbolic acid as an antiseptic, reducing surgical infection rates, followed by their Italian colleagues in

247-513: The European Middle Ages , the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. In this period, women also often gave knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves, as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals , as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life. The name of the genus of fish Thymallus , first given to

266-407: The back of a knife, or by pulling through the fingers or tines of a fork. In Moroccan tradition, dried figs are elevated with the infusion of minty leaves. After softening in a couscous pot, the figs are rested with additional minty leaves before being sprinkled with thyme for a delightful flavor enhancement and preservation in sealed containers. The chemical composition of Thymus (thyme) includes

285-549: The bunch (or fraction thereof), or by the sprig, or by the tablespoon or teaspoon. Dried thyme is widely used in Armenia in tisanes . Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used, or the leaves removed and the stems discarded. Usually, when a recipe mentions a bunch or sprig, it means the whole form; when it mentions spoons, it means the leaves. It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for whole thyme. Leaves may be removed from stems either by scraping with

304-491: The common names of Breckland thyme , Breckland wild thyme , wild thyme , creeping thyme , or elfin thyme , is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae , native to most of Europe and North Africa. It is a low, usually prostrate subshrub growing to 2 cm (1 in) tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm (4 in) long. The oval evergreen leaves are 3–8 mm long. The strongly scented flowers are either lilac, pink-purple, magenta, or

323-498: The latter's ability to safely destroy bacteria within the body, and from disinfectants , which destroy microorganisms found on non-living objects. Antibacterials include antiseptics that have the proven ability to act against bacteria. Microbicides which destroy virus particles are called viricides or antivirals . Antifungals , also known as antimycotics , are pharmaceutical fungicides used to treat and prevent mycosis (fungal infection). Antiseptic practices evolved in

342-418: The most abundant volatile component of thyme leaves is thymol , at 8.55mg/g. Other components are carvacrol , linalool , α-terpineol , and 1,8- cineole . Some of these compounds have beneficial properties. In particular, thymol has been historically used as an antibiotic and antiseptic , especially in traditional medicine. Oil of thyme, the essential oil of common thyme, contains 20–54% thymol. Thymol

361-420: The plant. It tolerates drought well. It can be pruned after flowering to keep from getting woody. In some Levantine countries, the condiment za'atar ( Arabic for both thyme and marjoram ) contains many of the essential oils found in thyme. Thyme is a common component of the bouquet garni , and of herbes de Provence . Thyme is sold both fresh and dried. While summer-seasonal, fresh greenhouse thyme

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