A low (up to 10 cm tall) shrub with a pleasant smell of the labium family. The main stem is thin, creeping, ending in a flowering shoot; flowering twigs are densely placed, roundish or indistinctly four-sided, almost erect, more or less uniformly pubescent, sparsely hairy below the inflorescence. The leaves are entire, opposite, mostly scapular, noticeably unequal, obtuse at the top, ciliate along the edge at the base, with a protruding midvein and inconspicuous speckled glands from below; the lower stem leaves are narrowed into petioles, the middle and upper leaves are sessile. The flowers are irregular, heterogeneous (or bisexual, or female on different individuals), collected in a capitate, later elongated and interrupted inflorescence with more or less spread few (one to four) spurious rings; corolla purple, double-lipped, with a continuous upper lip and a hylicotrilobate lower lip. The fruit consists of 4 one-seeded nut-shaped lobes. Blooms in June – July.
Spread. Kallie’s thyme grows in the steppe and foothills of Crimea on stony steppes and slopes.
Procurement and storage . Thyme herb (Herba Thymi serpilli) is used to make medicines. It is harvested during the flowering period of the plant by cutting the upper grassy shoots without the lower lignified stems with a knife, scissors, secateurs or a sickle. They cannot be plucked, because in doing so, the plant breaks out with its roots, which leads to the destruction of thickets. Re-harvesting of raw materials on the same site is allowed no earlier than after 2-3 years. The collected grass is dried in the shade in the open air, spreading it in a thin layer on paper or cloth. After drying, the grass is threshed, and then the flowers and leaves are separated from the stems on a sieve, which are discarded. The finished raw materials are stored in a dry, well-ventilated room. Shelf life — From years.
Chemical composition . Thyme grass contains essential oil (from 0.2 to 1.5%), flavonoids, tannins and bitter substances, gum, triterpenic acids (ursolic and oleanolic), mineral salts and other compounds. The composition of the essential oil includes thymol, carvacrol, cymol, α- and β-pinene, 7-terpinene, α-terpineol, borneol, zingebierene and other terpenoids.
Pharmacological properties and use. Galenic products of Callie’s thyme have an expectorant antibacterial, antispasmodic and analgesic effect, have a calming effect on the central nervous system, and stimulate the secretion of gastric juice. They can be given for laryngitis, tracheitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, gastrointestinal diseases accompanied by a decrease in gastric secretion, atony or intestinal spasms, flatulence. In folk medicine, in addition, Callie thyme is considered a good remedy for the treatment of whooping cough, pulmonary tuberculosis, insomnia, shortness of breath, bronchial asthma, gastric and duodenal ulcers, hemorrhoids, joint diseases, paralysis, sacro-lumbar neuralgia, in case of tapeworm infestation , from alcoholism (see article Wormwood bitter) and with algomenorrhea. As an external remedy, thyme is used for inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity and oropharynx caused by purulent bacteria (rinse); in case of nervous and skin diseases, rheumatism (baths); with inflammatory diseases of the vagina, vaginal discharge, especially in elderly women (douching). From ready-made pharmacy products, thymol, pertussin and Hartmann’s liquid are used (see the article Common thyme). Thyme preparations are contraindicated during pregnancy, decompensation of cardiac activity, liver and kidney diseases. Overdose may cause nausea. From ready-made pharmacy products, thymol, pertussin and Hartmann’s liquid are used (see the article Common thyme). Thyme preparations are contraindicated during pregnancy, decompensation of cardiac activity, liver and kidney diseases. Overdose may cause nausea. From ready-made pharmacy products, thymol, pertussin and Hartmann’s liquid are used (see the article Common thyme). Thyme preparations are contraindicated during pregnancy, decompensation of cardiac activity, liver and kidney diseases. Overdose may cause nausea.
Medicinal forms and applications .
Internally – infusion (2 tablespoons of raw material per 500 ml of boiling water, infuse for 2 hours) half a glass 4 times a day before meals;
1 teaspoon of raw material is brewed with a glass of boiling water and drunk as tea, sweetened with honey.
Externally – rinsing with infusion (10 g or 2 tablespoons of raw material per 200 ml of boiling water);
15 g of raw materials are poured with two glasses of boiling water, infused until cooled, filtered, diluted with boiled water to 1 liter and the resulting infusion is used for douching (the procedure is carried out in the morning and in the evening);
100 g of raw materials are poured with 2 liters of boiling water, infused for 30 minutes, filtered and added to the bath.