Thyme

Thyme = Thymus vulgaris

Common Names 

Thyme, Common Thyme, Wild Thyme 

Botanical Name 

Thymus vulgaris 

Family 

LAMIACEAE or LABIATAE Mint Family

· Medicinal Properties & Benefits
* Common Uses:

Abrasions/Cuts - Congestion/Chest & Sinus - Cough - Culinary - Facial and Skin care - Insect Repellent Toothache/Earache .

* Properties:

Warm - Analgesic - Aphrodisiac - Expectorant - Digestive -Antiperspirant/Deodorants - Antibacterial - Depurative - Antifungal - AntiViral - Insect repellents - Breath - Antiparasite - Nervine - Antispasmodic - Antitussive - Aromatic.

* Parts Used    :   

Leaves, stems and flowers
* Constituents:   

Thymol and carvacrol
* Traditions   :     

European

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The medicinal actions of thyme is attributed to its volatile oil constituents, thymol and carvacrol. Thyme has primarily been used respiratory ailments for its infection-fighting and cough suppressive qualities.
Thyme has primarily been used respiratory ailments for its infection-fighting and cough suppressive qualities. Thyme tea is an old time favorite cough, cold and hangover remedy, especially when sweetened with thyme honey.
T. vulgaris is a perennial with a woody, fibrous root. The stems are numerous, round, hard, branched, and usually from 4 to 8 inches high, when of the largest growth scarcely attaining a foot in height. The leaves are small, only about 1/8 inch long and 1/16 inch broad, narrow and elliptical, greenish-grey in colour, reflexed at the margins, and set in pairs upon very small foot-stalks. The flowers terminate the branches in whorls.
The plant has an agreeable aromatic smell and a warm pungent taste. The fragrance of its leaves is due to an essential oil, which gives it its flavouring value for culinary purposes, and is also the source of its medicinal properties. It is in flower from May to August.
There are three varieties usually grown for use, the broad-leaved, narrow-leaved and variegated: the narrow-leaved, with small, greyish-green leaves, is more aromatic than the broad-leaved, and is also known as Winter or German Thyme. The fragrant Lemon Thyme, likewise grown in gardens, has a lemon flavour, and rather broader leaves than the ordinary Garden Thyme, is not recurved at the margins, and ranks as a variety of T. serpyllum, the Wild Thyme.

* Thyme flowers for : Sachets, insect repellent
Place sprigs of thyme among clothes or linens to dispel musty odors and deter insect pests. Both the leaves and flowers can be used to stuff sachets.

* Thyme oil for : Fever, bronchitis
In respiratory conditions thyme is antiseptic and a bronchodilator and expectorates mucus from the lungs. Thyme helps reduce fever by inducing sweat...
* Thyme oil for : Toothache/ tooth infections 
Thyme has been used to fight tooth infections and toothache.
* Thyme tea for : Cough, hangover, flu
Wild thyme tea is recommended for cough, hangover, flu, and sore throat. Thyme honey is ideal for sweetening expectorant herb teas.

D'aprés : http://www.anniesremedy.com