Authors: L.  

Botanical Description

Bushy spreading habit with erect stems to 20cm or more in height. Leaves 3-8mm long, linear to elliptic, revolute, tomentose, grey-green. Floral bracts usually broader than the leaves, sometimes without revolute margins. Flowers light purple to whitish, 4-5mm long, in head-like or interrupted spikes. Western Mediterranean to southeastern Italy. Very variable in leaf, bract and inflorescence shape. The flavouring herb grown as common thyme. T.v. 'Aureus' has yellow-suffused leaves, and T.v. 'Silver Queen' is white variegated. Both are sometimes confused with similar cultivars of T. X citriodorus. T.v. 'Erectus' has a more overall erect habit.