''Thymus praecox'' is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

thyme Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...

. 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 Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Classification

''Thymus praecox'' is in the genus ''

Thymus The thymus (: thymuses or thymi) is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, T cells mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. The thymus ...

'' belonging to the ''Serpyllum'' section. It has sometimes been reclassified as ''T. polytrichus.''Brickell, C. & Zuk, J., Editors-in-Chief. ''The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants,'' First American Edition. (New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 1997; ).

Subspecies and cultivars

''Thymus praecox''

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

and

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s include: * ''Thymus praecox'' subsp. ''praecox'' ** ''Thymus praecox'' 'Doone Valley' (recently reclassified as a hybrid under the name ''Thymus'' 'Doone Valley') ** ''Thymus praecox'' 'Minus' ** ''Thymus praecox'' 'Pseudolanuginosus' * ''Thymus praecox'' subsp. ''arcticus'' (sometimes classified as ''Thymus polytrichus'' subsp. ''britannicus'') ** ''Thymus praecox'' subsp. ''arcticus'' 'Albus' (white moss thyme) ** ''Thymus praecox'' subsp. ''arcticus'' 'Languinosus' (woolly thyme) ** ''Thymus praecox'' subsp. ''arcticus'' 'Hall's Woolly' ** ''Thymus praecox'' subsp. ''arcticus'' 'Pink Chintz' (recently reclassified as ''Thymus serpyllum'' 'Pink Chintz') * ''Thymus praecox'' subsp. ''polytrichus'' (A. Kern. Ex Borbàs) Jalas. Found in the wild in Bosnia. * ''Thymus praecox'' subsp. ''skorpilii'' (Velen.) Jalas. Found in the wild in Bosnia.

Uses

Cultivation

''Thymus praecox'' is cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

, used as an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

groundcover in gardens and pots. When maintained at a lower height it is used between paving stones in patios and walkways. It is drought tolerant when established. This thyme species (and ''Thymus serpyllum'') has escaped cultivation in North America, and is a

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. Pla ...

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

in some

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Cuisine

This thyme has a strong scent similar to

Oregano Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate climate, temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a ...

. It can be used in

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, List of cooking techniques, techniques and Dish (food), dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, ...

. Like other species of thyme, ''Thymus praecox'' is characterized by substantial differences in

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the ...

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.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2697123 praecox Herbs Flora of Europe Garden plants of Europe Drought-tolerant plants Groundcovers