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Thymus praecox subsp. caucasicus

(Willd. ex Ronniger) Jalas

Lamiaceae Edible: Leaves - tea, Flowers - tea 11,695 iNaturalist observations

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(c) Stefan Gey, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Stefan Gey

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Thymus praecox is a species of thyme. A common name is mother of thyme, but "creeping thyme" and "wild thyme" may be used where Thymus serpyllum, which also shares these names, is not found. It is native to central, southern, and western Europe.

Description

A herb.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

This thyme has a strong scent similar to Oregano. It can be used in cuisine. Like other species of thyme, Thymus praecox is characterized by substantial differences in essential oil composition from plant to plant. Plants which differ in this way are known as chemotypes and a geographical population will generally contain a mix of chemotypes. For example, studies of chemotypes in Greenland, Iceland, Norway, England, Scotland, and Ireland show that chemotypes span those countries rather than being geographically localized. Some of those areas contain greater chemotype diversity than others.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant.

Where It Grows

Caucasus, Georgia,

Synonyms

Thymus caucasicus Willd. ex Ronnigerand others

Also Known As

Begkondara, Kondari

References (2)

  • Bussman, R. W., et al, 2016, A comparative ethnobotany of Khevsureti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tusheti, Svaneti, and Racha-Lechkhumi, Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016) 12:4 (As Thymus caucasicus)
  • Bussman, R. W., et al, 2021, Unity in diversity—food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2021) 17:72 p 9 (As Thymus caucasicus)

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