Habitat :-- Temperate Himalaya, from Kashmir to Sikkim.
An aromatic erect herb, corymbosely branched, l-3ft., more or less clothed with short hairs, glabrous, at times prostrate. Rootstock short, stoloniferous. Leaves entire or toothed, ½-lin. long, lower early withering, stalked, ¾in. broad. Flowers dimorphic small, pink (Female paler), crowded in numerous 4-sided spikes, ¼-lin. long, in clusters or heads at the end of branches sometimes forming terminal panicles ; floral leaves bract-like lanceolate longer than the calyx, overlapping, often tinged with purple. Calyx bell-shaped enlarged in fruit ; 5-toothed, mouth hairy within, calyx-teeth short ; Corolla-tube longer than the calyx ; limb 2-lipped, upper lip erect, nearly flat, notched, lower, spreading 3-lobed. Stamens 4 in unequal pair, slightly protruding. Nutlets smooth dry.
Uses : — It yields a volatile oil, useful as an aromatic, stimulant and tonic in colic, diarrhœa and hysteria. It is also applied in chronic rheumatism and tooth-ache. It is said to stimulate the growth of hair, and also to act as an emmenagogue (Stewart).
Considered a good " pick-me-up " after a carousal. The oil is dropped into the ear for earache (Dr. Emersoi).
The infusion is gently tonic, also carminative, stimulant, emmenagogue and diaphoretic. It is also used as a fomentation externally (Brunton).
The Greeks used it extensively, both internally and for making fomentations. It was esteemed as a remedy for narcotic poisons, convulsions and dropsy, by them, and also by the older herbalists of Europe.— The oil is still an ingredient in some embrocations in use in England, and has a special reputation for toothache (Sowerby's English Botany.).
A sample from Ramnagar, United Provinces, yielded to ether 27-3 per cent, of a light-coloured drying oil. The oil had an acid value of 11.3, saponification value 194.9, iodine value 190.5 (Hooper).
990. Thymus Serpyllum, Linn, h.f.b.i, iv. 649,
Vern. : — Másho, rángsbúr, marizha (Pb.) ; Ban-ajwain (H.)
Habitat :— Western Temperate Himalaya, from Kashmir to Kumaon.
