A study of thyme germplasm in Sicily

hyme is characteristic of the Mediterranean and is of interest for its multifunctional nature. It is widely used in seasoning and flavouring, in herbal products and cosmetics. The versatility of this species means it is also useful in the protection of areas prone to erosion or an ornamental plant when designing low-maintenance gardens. Thyme germplasm constitutes a large part of the wild flora in Sicily and is a potentially useful source of genetic variability. On the basis of this, in the two-year period from 2004-2005, research was carried out on wild thyme accessions. These were used to evaluate both its productivity and individual biotypes with the functional characteristics most sough-after by the various sectors which use this species.