- Teucrium marum
Taxobox
image_caption = Cat thyme
regnum =Plant ae
divisio =Magnoliophyta
classis =Magnoliopsida
ordo =Lamiales
familia =Lamiaceae
genus =Teucrium
species =" T. marum"
binomial = "Teucrium marum"
binomial_authority = L.Cat thyme ("
Teucrium marum") is a close relative ofgermander ; despite what its name suggests, it is not athyme . Its small, oval leaves give it a thyme-like appearance, but the musty scent is quite unlike the delicate aroma of thyme, cat thyme is a mounding, tender perennial with grey-green leaves tipped by fragrant pink flowers in summer.Cat thyme, a native of
Spain and the WesternMediterranean , will live through the winter in the open, on a dry soil and in a good situation, when the frosts are not severe, though it is frequently killed in hard winters if unprotected by mats or other covering. Older plants can shrub 3 or 4 feet high if grown in a mild climate.It has oval leaves, broader at the base, downy beneath, with uncut margins. It is in leaf all year.
The flowers, appearing between July and September, are in one-sided spikes, the corollas are crimson in color.
The leaves and younger branches when fresh, on being rubbed emit a volatile, pungent, aromatic smell, which excites sneezing, but in taste they are somewhat bitter, accompanied with a sensation of heat.
Some, but not all cats prefer it to
catnip and will corkscrew themselves into the plant in ecstasy.Taxonomy
"Teucrium mare" is part of a complex of three subspecies :
* "T. marum" subsp. "marum"
* "T. marum" subsp. "occidentale"
* "T. marum" subsp. "drosocalyx"Quantitative and qualitative differences in the volatile components within and between taxa have been found.References
* [http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Teucrium+marum Plants for a future]
* [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ap/bt/2000/00000132/00000003/art00298 Volatile components variation in the Teucrium marum complex (Lamiaceae) from the Balearic Island]
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