Lemon Thyme
| Lemon Thyme | ||||||||||||
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Variety with yellow-green leaves |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Thymus × citriodorus | ||||||||||||
| ( Pers. ) Schreb. ex Schweigg. & Kits |
The lemon thyme ( Thymus x citriodorus ) is a hybrid from the genus of thyme ( Thymus ) in the family of mint .
features
The lemon thyme is an evergreen subshrub with more or less prostrate branches that reach heights of 10 to 30 centimeters. This Chamaephyte is hardy in Central Europe . The scent is spicy or lemon-like. The branches are square and have irregular hairs all around. The hair is stronger on the edges than on the sides. The entire-margined leaves are lanceolate, elliptical to obovate rhombic-egg-shaped. Their average length is about 15 mm, the leaf width varies between 2 and 8 mm. The edge of the leaf is only partially curled and often has individual eyelashes at the base. The underside is briefly velvety to bare.
The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic and five-fold. The upper calyx teeth are mostly ciliate. The crown is light to purple-pink in color. The flowering period extends from June to September.
Occurrence
The lemon thyme is native to Spain and France. It is the hybrid of Thymus pulegioides × Thymus vulgaris .
use
The lemon thyme is a natural and cultural hybrid. It is widely used as an ornamental plant for rock gardens, borders, balconies and planters as well as a spice and medicinal plant and has been in cultivation since 1596 at the latest. There are numerous varieties that have, for example, yellow, white or spotted leaves or different growth forms.
literature
- Eckehart J. Jäger, Friedrich Ebel, Peter Hanelt, Gerd K. Müller (eds.): Rothmaler excursion flora from Germany. Volume 5: Herbaceous ornamental and useful plants . Spectrum Academic Publishing House, Berlin Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-8274-0918-8 .
- Ecological teaching garden, Karlsruhe Lemon-Thyme accessed on May 24, 2008 (PDF; 124 kB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Thymus × citriodorus. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved January 13, 2018.
