Thymus glabrescens, Willd.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1972, Flora Europaea. Volume 3. Diapensiacea to Myoporaceae, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press : 179

43. T. glabrescens Willd. , Berlin. Baumz. ed. 2, 507 (1811).

Creeping branches mostly ending in a terminal inflorescence. Flowering stems 5-15(-3O) cm, more or less herbaceous, erect to ascending, usually hairy all round, usually without basal leaf-clusters. Leaves mostly more than 1 - 5 mm wide, elliptic-lanceolate to obovate, mostly rounded at apex, herbaceous, ciliate at the base, at least the lower petiolate. Inflorescence globose or interrupted, often the lowest verticillasters remote. Bracts similar to the leaves. Calyx (3 -5-)4-5 mm; tube as long as upper lip; upper teeth usually longer than wide, ciliate. S. E. & E. C. Europe, extending locally westwards to S.E. France.?A1 Au Bu Cz Ga He Hu It Ju Po Rm Rs (C, W, K,?E) Tu.

This is a rather heterogeneous assemblage of plants probably of different allopolyploid origins. They are often difficult to separate from 42 and 55. The following treatment covers the major part of the variation but is largely provisional.

1 Leaves on flowering stems larger above, usually more than

3 mm wide, and the veins weak (a) subsp. glabrescens 1 Leaves on flowering stems mostly aboutequal,usually less than

3 mm wide, and with a prominent midrib 2 Leaves4 —10(—15) x 1- 5 -3 mm,elliptical,shortlycuneateat base, obtuse at apex; upper calyx-teeth often ± pungent

(b) subsp. decipiens 2 Leaves7 -13 x 1- 2 -2-5mm, linear-lanceolate,long-cuneateat base, subacute at apex; upper calyx-teeth not pungent

(c) subsp. urumovii