The species of Thymus L. is taxonomically classified in the Lamiaceae (Labiatae) family, a large family recognized for the large number of medicinal and aromatic species found here. The species of the Lamiaceae family are intensively studied in the chemical-pharmaco-dynamic aspect and widely used for therapeutic purposes in medicine and traditional medicine. An important aspect, when we study a species under different aspects (botanical, biochemical, genetic), is the correct taxonomic determination. This can be difficult especially if the studies target species are from spontaneous flora. A misidentification of the genus or species leads to an incorrect reporting of the scientific results of the research, with repercussions on the entire academic community, when comparative results for the same species obtained from different areas will be reported. In the last period of time, the genetic and biochemical researches are constituted in additional and complex taxonomic instruments, which come to complement and clarify the classical taxonomy. The paper presents in comparison the difficulties of determining the Thymus genus in the flora of Romania, comparing with the species of the genus recognized at European level. It is noted that Flora Europaea, on the one hand, does not recognize the presence on the territory of our country of some species, reported in its own determinants as being present in us. On the other hand, certain species mentioned in the indigenous determinants, are not recognized as being present in the flora of Romania by Flora Europaea (T. roegneri not mentioned in our country for distribution). Also, some species are variously synonymised or considered subspecies as is the case of T. pannonicus treated in European flora as a subspecies for T. pulegioides. Taxonomic interpretation of the species belonging to the genus Thymus is also difficult, due to the high variability of populations with very different morphological characteristics, but also because of hybridization.

Thymus, Lamiaceae Family, medicinal plant, Romanian flora

biology

Presentation: poster