Common Thyme.

Common thyme

A subshrub of the Lamiaceae family, up to 50 cm high, with a pleasant aroma. It is similar to thyme, but differs from it in its erect stem and less crowded inflorescences. The root is taproot, highly branched.

The leaves are opposite, oblong-obovate, densely pubescent, have essential oil glands, and are strongly curled downwards inward. Blooms in June - July. The flowers are small, pale lilac, pink, less often white, collected in a racemose inflorescence.

Fruits in August - September.

Common thyme is found wild in Russia. It is cultivated in the Krasnodar region, Ukraine and Moldova.

Cultivated in fertile, permeable, sunny areas, protected from the winds. In autumn, the soil is dug up to a depth of 25-30 cm and 4 kg of manure, 20 g of ammonium sulfate, 30-40 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt per 1 m2 are added. The soil is loosened before frosts, in early spring and before sowing.

Seeds are sown with a row spacing of 45-60 cm, planted to a depth of 0.5-1 cm. Plants are fed with ammonium nitrate and superphosphate, adding 10 and 20 g per 1 m2, respectively. Secondary fertilizers are applied after harvesting.

Leaves and young shoots are harvested twice during the growing season, cutting at a height of 10-15 cm from the surface of the ground. The plantation is used for at least 4 years. In areas with harsh winters, thyme is grown as an annual crop.

Seeds are collected from plants of the 2nd and 3rd year of life, when they turn brown. Leaves and young shoots are used to prepare salad and seasoning for game, vegetable, meat and fish dishes, as well as for pickling cucumbers. In industry - for flavoring sausages, vinegar and tea.

It is a good honey plant.

The herb contains essential oil, the main component of which is thymol; also found are carvacrol, n-cymene, pinene, terminene, borneol, caryophylline and linalool, flavonoids, tannins, mineral salts, bitterness, ursolic, oleanolic, caffeine, cinchonic, chlorogenic and other acids.

Thymol has an antiseptic, disinfectant and bactericidal effect. This allows thyme to be used against pathogenic flora of the body. Its destructive effect on pathogenic fungi and microbes resistant to antibiotics has been established. A decoction and liquid extract of the plant have an expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect, enhance the secretion of gastric juice and relieve spasms of the gastrointestinal tract.

Thyme preparations are prescribed for bronchitis, cough, whooping cough and pneumonia, as an analgesic for radiculitis and sciatica, diarrhea and flatulence. They improve the passage of gases and normalize the intestinal microflora. The infusion is used to rinse the mouth and nasopharynx.

In the form of baths, the herb is used for radiculitis, rheumatism and diseases associated with metabolic disorders. In pediatric practice - for insomnia, diathesis, skin diseases, digestive disorders and constipation. For skin diseases, apply wet bandages soaked in the infusion.

In Bulgaria, this plant is used for itching, pyodermatitis, boils, gingivitis, rashes and wounds. To prepare the infusion, pour 2 tablespoons of raw material into 2 cups of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, filter and cool. Take 1/2 cup 3 times a day before meals.

Gingivitis is treated by rinsing the mouth; for rashes, take a bath with thyme infusion. To prepare it, pour 100 g of herb into 2 liters of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes in a warm place and filter.

Along with common thyme, creeping thyme is used, widespread from the Murmansk region to the southern regions of our country.

Currently, 16 species of thyme have been discovered, and all of them have found their use in medicine. An antitussive and expectorant, pertussin, is produced from these plants.