LABIAT.E. XLI. MARJORANA. XLII. THTICDS. 



767 



tomentose ; spikelets small, ovoid, numerous, densely corym- 

 bose. I? . F. Native of the eastern region of the Mediterra- 

 nean ; as of Dalmatia, Greece, and the neighbouring islands, &c. 

 Origanum Onites, Lin. spec. p. 824. Sibtb. et Smith, fl. grace. 6. 

 p. 58. t. 572. Origanum SmyrnaE'um, Lin. spec. p. 843. Ori- 

 ganum pallidum. Desf. hort. par. ed. 2d. p. 395. Pers. ench. 2. 

 p. 129. Bocc. mus. 2. p. 45. t. 38. Leaves half an inch long, 

 usually cordate at the base. Corolla of Af. hortensit, but a 

 little smaller, whitish. This, the pot-marjoram, though hardy 

 enough to stand our winters, seldom ripens its seeds in this 

 country. It is in flower from July to November, and is propa- 

 gated by seed, but chiefly from slips. It is used and cultivated 

 for the same purposes as ttreet marjoram. 



Attt or Pot Marjoram. Fl. July, Nov. Clt. 1759. Shrub 

 1 foot. 



Cult. All the species of marjoram are shrubby if protected 

 in winter ; and they are readily increased by slips or cuttings. 

 W hen any of them are sown to be reaped the same year treat 

 them as recommended for M. hortfntit, p. 766. 



XLII. THY'MUS (from Bvpoc, thymos, of Theophrastus and 

 Dioscorides ; irora Ovftac, thymos, courage, strength, the smell of 

 thyme being reviving ; or from 6vu, thyo, to perfume, because it 

 was used for incense in the temples.) Benth. lab. p. 340. Thy- 

 mus species, Lin. and other authors. Serpyllum, Pers. ench. 2. 

 p. 130. 



Lix. SYST. Didynamia, Gymnospermia. Calyx ovate, 13-nerved, 

 bilabiate ; upper lip tridentate, spreading ; lower lip bi6d, with 

 ciliated subulate segments ; throat villous inside. Corolla hav- 

 ing the tube inclosed in the calyx and imbricating bracteas, 

 naked inside ; limb sub-bilabiate ; upper lip straight, emargi- 

 nate, fl.ittish ; lower lip spreading, trifid, with equal lobes, or 

 the middle lobe is longest. Stamens exserted, rarely inclosed, 

 straight, distant, nearly equal or didynamous, lower two the 

 longest ; anthers 2 -celled : cells parallel, or at length diverging. 

 Style about equally bifid at apex ; lobes subulate, stigmatiferous 

 at apex. Small, usually canescent under shrubs. Leaves small, 

 quite entire, veiny, with usually revolute margins. Whorls few- 

 flowered sometimes, all remote, and sometimes disposed in loose, 

 dense, or imbricate spikelets. Bracteas minute. Flowers usually 

 purplish, rarely white. 



SECT. I. MASTICHINA (so called from exhaling a scent like that 

 of Mastich.) Benth. lab. p. 341. Calycine teeth, all subulate. 

 Very nearly allied to the genus Byslropbgon. 



1 T. HASTICHINA (Lin. spec. 827.) plant diffuse, branched, 

 pale green, or canescent ; leaves petiolate, ovate or oblong, ob- 

 tuse, narrowed at the base, naked, flat : upper and floral leaves 

 broader ; calyx villous, with plumose subulate teeth, which are 

 longer than the tube. Tj . F. Native of Spain, Portugal, and 

 Barbary, in sandy, uncultivated places. T. ciliatus, Mcench. ex 

 Steud. nom. p. 836. Sampsucus seu Marum Mastichen redo- 

 lens, Bauh. pin. p. 224. Marum, Blackw. icon. t. 134. Riv. 

 rnon. t. 40. Leaves almost entire, canescent while young. Su- 

 perior whorls approximating into a round head. Corolla whitish, 

 usually shorter than the calycine teeth. 



Mastich Thyme. Fl. July, Sept. Clt. 1596. Shrub 1 foot. 



2 T. TOMENTOSUS (Willd. enum. 2. p. 626. ? Benth. lab. p. 

 341.) plant diffuse, branched, canescent; leaves scarcely petio- 

 late, ovate or oblong, obtuse, narrowed at the base, naked, flat, 

 clothed with hoary tomentum when young : floral leaves broad- 

 ovate, a little imbricated ; calyx very villous, having the teeth 

 all subulate, plumose, and shorter than the tube, h . H. Na- 

 tive of Spain and the Algarves, Masson. T. marifblius, Ponrr. 

 ex Willd. 1. c. T. elongatus, Link, enum. 2. p. 118. ? This 

 species differs from the preceding in the calyxes, and inflores- 

 cence. Heads small, numerous, almost globose. 



10 



Tomentose Mastich Thyme. Fl. June. Aug. Clt. 1816. PI. 

 1 foot. 



SECT. II. SERPY'LLUM (IprvXXox, the Greek name of the wild 

 thyme ; from icnra, herpo, to creep ; in reference to the creeping 

 stems.) Benth. lab. p. 342. Superior teeth of calyx lanceolate. 

 Floral leaves almost of the same colour as the cauline leaves. 



3 T. VULGA'RIS (Lin. spec. p. 825.) plant erect or procumbent 

 at the base, clothed with hoary pubescence ; leaves sessile, linear, 

 or ovate-lanceolate, acute, with revolute edges, fascicled in the 

 axils : floral leaves lanceolate, obtuse ; whorls loose, rather dis- 

 tant ; teeth of upper lip of calyx lanceolate, but the segments 

 of the lower lip are subulate and ciliated. V . H. Native of the 

 South West of Europe, in dry, arid, uncultivated places ; as of 

 Portugal, Spain, South of France, South of Germany, Italy, 

 Piedmont, and Greece. Woodv. med. bot. 299. t. 109. Blackw. 

 icon. t. 211. Shrub much branched. Flowers purplish, smaller 

 than those of T. Serpyllum. Upper whorls, or all, loosely ap- 

 proximate into a terminal head, or the 2 or 4 lower ones are 

 remote. 



There are two kinds of thyme cultivated for culinary pur- 

 poses. The common and the lemon thyme. Of the garden or 

 common thyme there are two varieties, the broad and narrow- 

 leaved, besides the variegated, grown for ornament. The lemon 

 thyme, Thymus serpyllvm, var. /, cttralut, is a low, trailing shrub, 

 of a yellowish colour, having a strong scent of lemons. The 

 young leaves and tops of both kinds are used in soups, stuffings, 

 and sauces. For these purposes the broad-leaved common is gene- 

 rally preferred ; but the flavour of the lemon thyme is much 

 liked in peculiar dishes. 



To raise thyme from seed is the general and most eligible 

 method. It is occasionally multiplied by parting the roots of 

 stocky close plants, and by slips of the young shoots. By seed, 

 sow in March or April in a bed or border of light fine earth, 

 either broad-cast, scattered thin and raked in lightly, which is 

 the general course, or in small shallow drills, six inches asunder : 

 the young plants may either remain, or be transplanted in the 

 summer when 2 or 3 inches high. A portion may be drilled for 

 an edging to a border. As soon as the plants are 3 or 5 inches 

 in growth, in June or July, taking the opportunity of rain, thin 

 them out, and plant 6 inches asunder, and water at planting. 

 Others may be planted in a single row to form an edging to a 

 border, either set close to form at once a full edging, or as far as 

 3 inches apart. Seedlings thus treated will come in for use the 

 same year. 



Those who raise considerable supplies of thyme for the mar- 

 kets usually sow large portions thickly in beds, to remain till of 

 useful growth, then to be drawn off, root and top together, at 

 different seasons as wanted ; it is then tied in small bunches for 

 market. Some persons also transplant considerable portions in 

 spring and summer to 6-10 or 12 inches distance, to form a stocky 

 full growth, to be drawn off in large bushy plants. Thyme is also 

 propagated by slips of the branching shoots in the spring or 

 early in autumn, but more especially by sections of the bush f> or 

 by removing rooted branches. Plant all these in light rich earth, 

 and shade and water till rooted. In autumn, to provide against 

 the effect of frosts on exotic evergreens, dry and house a store 

 for winter ; either cutting the tops or drawing the entire plants. 

 Seed is produced abundantly in this country, and ripens in sum- 

 mer and autumn. Gather the seed spikes and spread them upon 

 a cloth to dry ; rub out clean, and put the seed up for sowing 

 the following year. 



Common or Garden Thyme. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1548. Shrub 

 | to 1 foot. 



4 T. TEXUIFOLICS (Mill. diet. no. 2. Benth. lab. p. 728.) 

 erect or procumbent at the base ; branches pubescent ; leaves 



