Spreading herbaceous plant with prostrate to weakly ascending stems that are hairy all round and up to 30 cm long, terminating in an interrupted 'spike' of about 7 'whorls' of lilac blue flowers. Leaves up to 20 mm, linear to narrowly elliptic, ciliate but otherwise glabrous except for short hairs on the midrib beneath. Flowers hermaphrodite; inner pair of anthers touching. [?T. pannonicus All., ?T. marschallianus hort.]
Available in the trade as Lemon Savoury, Micromeria sp., although the true identity of this plant is uncertain. The plant in cultivation strongly resembles material of T. marschallianus collected in the wild in the Crimea.This species was subsequently included in the hairy-leaved T. pannonicus but it seems better to retain the original name for this distinctive plant with a history of cultivation in W Europe.
The large size and herbaceous appearance of this plant makes it appear unlike a thyme.
Long stems, large leaves, herbaceous appearance, bluish lilac flowers.
Source: (2002). Thymus. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.