Syn.: Thymus billardierei Boiss.
Family: Lamiaceae Martinov
Distribution: Endemic species of Cyprus, locally common in many parts of the island.
Ecology: It grows on dry hillsides and rocky slopes with garrigue vegetation, or at margins of pine forests, on igneous rocks, at elevations from 100 to 1700 m. It blooms from late February to June.
Description: Subshrub with sprawling stems growing to 5–10(–20) cm long. The hairy leaves are sessile, narrowly lanceolate to linear, entire, 3–10 × 1–2 mm. Flowers in terminal inflorescences, calyx is campanulate, purple, hairy, corolla is tubular, bifid, pink or white, 10–15 mm long, tube is conspicuously long and straight. The fruit is a nutlet.
Usage: This species of Thyme is used in the Cypriot traditional medicine.
These images were taken in Cyprus, Lemesos Forest (March 27, 2010).
