Hispid Thyme (hiss-PID TYME)

Hispid Thyme is one of three plants involved in the early-stage treatment for The Sundering Cough, and has been extensively cultivated since the discovery of a nonmagical test to detect the Cough while it is still in the latency phase and can be cured.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Hispid Thyme is a common and widespread, bushy, low-growing shrub with small, highly aromatic, grey-green leaves and clusters of yellow or pale green flowers in early summer.

Genetics and Reproduction

In spring and summer the plant produces flowers which allow for pollination and distribution by local pollinators, particularly Hispid Bees. Additionally, un-pruned mature plants will grow large enough that their longest branches snap under the weight of their own flowers in the late spring. These severed branches work like propagates, rooting into the soil and creating a new plant where they fall.

Growth Rate & Stages

This slow-growing plant can take up to 28 days to germinate from seed, after which it rarely reaches harvestable maturity before a full year has passed. A mature Hispid Thyme plant is distinguished from a juvenile one by the woodiness of the main stems, which should be rough and dry to the touch at adult growth.

Ecology and Habitats

Growing in seasonal climates with moderate rainfall, Hispid Thyme can tolerate low nutrient levels in soil, relatively wide variations in temperature, and drought periods of up to two months. This particular variety grows in patches spanning 3 to 4 feet in diameter, usually near a source of water such as a spring or river. The Hispid Thyme is considered an invasive species in northern cities, where it out-competes tastier but less hardy cultivars in many herb gardens. In its natural habitat, it is kept in check by grazing animals and the competition of basil plants.

It is native to the Hispia region of Pripya province and held sacred by the Zivian culture, which has been almost wiped out due to internal warfare and periodic attempts by Pripya Major to exterminate it. 

Scientific Name

Thymus hispidius