205 THYMUS YULGARIS 



flowers, bifid. Achenes elevated on a gynophore, perfectly 

 smooth, brown. 



Habitat. This aromatic fragrant plant grows abundantly in 

 stony places in the Mediterranean countries of Europe from 

 Portugal to Greece, including Corsica and the Balearic Islands, 

 but it does not reach the African coast or extend into Asia Minor. 



It is much grown in English kitchen-gardens where it reaches 

 a larger size than in its wild localities ; but it is very variable in 

 this respect and in the amount of grey tomentum and arrangement 

 of the verticils of flowers ; resembling in this respect the common 

 wild thyme of this country, T. Serpyllum, L., to which it is closely 

 allied. 



Benth., in DC. Prod., xii, p. 199; Gren. & Godr., Fl. France, ii, 

 p. 657; Willk. & Lange, Prod. Fl. Hispan., ii, p. 403. 



Official Part and Name. OLEUM THYMI ; the volatile oil 

 obtained from Thymus vulgaris (U. S. P.). It is not official in 

 either the British Pharmacopoeia, or the Pharmacopoeia of India. 



Production, General Characters, and Composition. Oil of 

 Thyme is derived solely from the South of France. In the 

 neighbourhood of Nismes, according to Hanbury, who visited 

 this district in 1849, the oil is obtained in large quantities by 

 submitting the whole plant to distillation with water. It is 

 distilled at two periods of the year, namely, when the plant is in 

 flower in May and June, and again, late in the autumn. The oil 

 after the first distillation is of a deep reddish-brown colour, and is 

 called Huile rouge de Thym ; but when re-distilled it becomes 

 colourless, and is then termed Huile blanche de Thym. The 

 latter oil is also somewhat less fragrant than the former. Both 

 kinds of oil are purchased by the merchants in the neighbouring 

 towns, and thence exported to other parts. The red oil is that 

 more commonly met with in commerce, and according to Wood 

 and Bache, it is the only kind found in the shops in the United 

 States. This oil is also, as first proved by Hanbury, commonly 

 known as Oil of Origanum. The latter oil is, however, very 

 distinct in its characters, and is not found in commerce. 



Oil of Thyme consists of a fluid portion, which is a mixture of 



