A low, 12-37 cm tall, pleasant-smelling half-bush of the labium family. The main stem is short, lying or obliquely ascending, ending in a flowering shoot; flower-bearing branches erect or erect, pubescent in the inflorescence and below it with long distant hairs and here vaguely four-sided, below – pubescent with short, downwardly bent hairs, rounded; infertile shoots subtended or erect, departing from the main stem. The leaves are light green, opposite, sessile, elongated-elliptic, with a wedge-shaped base and a pointed apex, sparsely ciliate along the edge at the base, bare on the surface, with numerous and inconspicuous lateral veins; medium leaves with inconspicuous axillary branches. The flowers are irregular, heterogeneous (or bisexual, or female on different individuals), collected in an elongated interrupted, with several (up to 7 or more) spread false inflorescence rings up to 15 cm long; corolla up to 5 mm long, pale lilac, double-lipped, with a continuous, notched upper lip and a gilotrilobate lower one. The fruit consists of 4 one-seeded nut-shaped lobes. Blooms from the second half of May to July.
Spread. Marshall’s thyme grows in the forest-steppe and northern areas of the steppe on meadow steppes, forest edges and outcrops.
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 marshall’s thyme exhibit expectorant antibacterial, antispasmodic and analgesic effects, 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, marshall’s 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.