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Thymus L.

Genus closely related to Thymbra, from which it is differentiated mainly for having flowers with campanulate or cylindrical calyx, not compressed, without lateral keels, with only 10-13 veins, and with ovoid or ellipsoid nutlets. The genus Thymus comprises the popular thymes, with about 350 species, with Palaearctic distribution. In North Africa there are about 20 species, of Mediterranean distribution, mostly in Morocco and Algeria (10-12 species in each country), 3 species in Tunisia, 1 in Libya (T. algeriensis Boiss. & Reut.) and 1 in Egypt (T. bovei Benth.). They are chamaephyte plants that do not normally exceed 40 cm in height. One of tallest species is T. broussonetii. Another species of considerable size is T. maroccanus Ball, also with not revolute leaves, with dense, capituliform inflorescence; leaves and bracts of the inflorescence hirsute, but well differentiated by its similar cauline and floral leaves, and smaller calyx (3-3.5 mm) and corolla. Endemic to Morocco, it presents 2 subspecies: T. maroccanus subsp. maroccanus, of elliptical-lanceolate leaves, from the Anti-Atlas, High Atlas and Atlantic coastal and subcoastal areas of northern and central Morocco; and T. maroccanus subsp. rhombicus Villar, with leaves from oval-lanceolate to rhomboid.

The species more broadly distributed through North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya) is T. algeriensis Boiss. & Reut., a small chamaephyte of cauline leaves with revolute margin, similar in shape to the floral leaves; calyx 2.5-4.5 mm, glabrous, with hairs only on the veins of its lower part.

There is a similar genus, Hyssopus L., which, as in thymes, has flowers with a corolla that has 2 distinct lips, 4 stamens very exserted from the corolla tube and zygomorphic calyx, with 2 very different lips, the upper lip with 3 teeth and the lower lip with 2. It is represented in North Africa by a single species, H. officinalis L., with narrow leaves, almost linear, and blue-violet flowers, with parallel stamens, arranged in spikes with all the flowers towards the same side. Species typical of the Mediterranean region, in North Africa there are 2 subspecies, subsp. aristatus (Godr.) Nyman, in Morocco, and subsp. austro-oranensis Maire, in Morocco and Algeria.

Somewhat common species, of variable distribution. For the moment, none of them are considered threatened. Currently, they have not been assessed at a global level in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Updated by: J. Charco.