The genus Thymus (/ˈtaɪməs/ TY-məs;[3] thymes) contains about 350[4] species of aromatic perennial herbaceous plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae.

The leaves are evergreen in most species, arranged in opposite pairs, oval, entire, and small, 4–20 millimetres (1⁄8–3⁄4 in) long, and usually aromatic.

Thyme flowers are in dense terminal heads with an uneven calyx, with the upper lip three-lobed, and are yellow, white, or purple.

[5] The most common classification is that used by Jalas, in eight sections: [6] The genus is native to temperate regions in Europe, North Africa and Asia.

[13] Thyme species such as T. fedtschenkoi, T. pubescens, and T. transcaucasicus have large amounts of the essential oils thymol and carvacrol.