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Thymus polytrichus

Thymus polytrichus

Thymus polytrichus

ヨーロッパの中部が原産です。石灰岩質の乾いた草地や荒れ地、海岸砂丘などに生え、高さは5〜10センチになります。茎には4稜があり、うち2面に毛が生え、匍匐枝をだして広がります。葉は小さな卵形で対生します。6月から9月ごろ、茎頂に球状の花序をだし、紅紫色の花を咲かせます。花冠の下唇は3裂して開出します。写真下は、「タイムふしだに(Aceria thomasi)」による虫えいです。

Wild Mountain Thyme」は、1957年にリリースされたスコットランド系フォークソング。(song by The Petersens)
Oh, the summer time is coming
And the trees are sweetly blooming
And the wild mountain thyme
Grows around the purple heather
Will you go, lassie, will you go ?

And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
Will you go, lassie, go ?

I will build my love a bower
By yon clear and crystal fountain
And all around the bower
I'll pile flowers from the mountain

If my true love, she won't have me
I will surely find another
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather

And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
Will you go, lassie, go ?

And we'll all go together
To pull wild mountain thyme
All around the purple heather
Will you go, lassie, go ?
Will you go, lassie, go ?
Will you go, lassie, go ?

シソ科イブキジャコウソウ属の常緑小低木で、学名は Thymus polytrichus。英名は Wild thyme、English wild thyme。 
The Wild thyme (Thymus polytrichus) belongs to Lamiaceae (the Mint family). It is an evergreen shrub that is native to central Europe. It grows on dry limestone grasslands, wastelands, and coastal dunes, and can reach 5 to 10 cm in height. The stem has 4 ridges, of which hair grows on 2 sides, and spreads out by the stolons. The leaves are small ovate and opposite. From June to September, spherical inflorescences are borne on the shoot apex and bloom magenta flowers. The lower lip of the corolla splits into three and opens. The lower photo shows an insect gall by the thyme mite (Aceria thomasi).
[上・中] アイルランド・マンスター地方「バレン(Burren)高原」にて、2005年06月30日撮影。(photo by Jon Suehiro)
[下] イギリス・スコットランド「アードレック城」にて、2023年08月08日撮影。(photo by Jon Suehiro)

Shu Suehiro
shu@botanic.jp