Telephium imperati (Common Thyme)

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### Description

Telephium imperati, also known as Common Thyme, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region, including Greece, Crete, Cyprus, Syria, Turkey, Iran, North Caucasus, Pakistan, and parts of the Arab world.

The plant has a woody base with many simple stems that are procumbent (growing along the ground). Its leaves are elliptical to obovate in shape, measuring 4-5 x 1-2 mm, with a prominent central nerve. The inflorescence is lactic and thin, bearing sepals of 3-4 mm that are oblong-linear and obtuse.

### Taxonomy

Telephium imperati was first described by Carolus Linnaeus in Species Plantarum (1753) as part of the genus Telephium. However, it has also been classified under other genera, including Merophragma and Raynaudetia, with synonyms such as Merophragma tierra Dulac and Raynaudetia mediterranea.

### Distribution

The plant is widely distributed across the Mediterranean region, including:

* Greece
* Crete
* Cyprus
* Syria
* Turkey
* Iran
* North Caucasus
* Pakistan
* Levant
* Egypt
* Arab Maghreb
* Northern Morocco (known as Temsrgent, Ourgend, Sergent, and Sergentina)

### References

* Linnaeus, C. (1753). Species Plantarum 271.
* Dulac, E. (1897). Merophragma tierra Dulac.
* Bubani, P. (1901). Raynaudetia mediterranea Bubani.

Note: The article has been rewritten to reflect the correct classification of Telephium imperati as a species of Thymus, and to remove any redundancies or conflicts between the source snippets.