Signs of the thymes

Rare thymes

Camphor Thyme

For most people, thyme is better known as a cooking herb than a plant. Yet the genus Thymus - a member of the mint family - is widespread in Europe where no less than sixty-six species of the genus occur. Eleven thyme species have been recorded in Portugal, of which four species are endemic - that is, they are found nowhere else. Two of these species, Thymus camphoratus, the Camphor Thyme, and Thymus cephalotus, are sufficiently rare that their preservation has been made a priority as an Annex 2 species under the European Community Habitats Directive.

As part of A Rocha's longstanding commitment to nature conservation in the Algarve, A Rocha workers, notably the Science Director Will Simonson and Richard Gunton, have been studying thymes in southern Portugal, especially in the area of Quinta da Rocha in the Alvor Estuary, where A Rocha's Cruzinha field studies centre is based.

A matter of identification

Camphor Thyme (Thymus camphoratus) closeup

Close up of Camphor Thyme

One of the first tasks was to identify which thyme species was represented in the area; accurate identification is essential for any serious conservation. Thymus camphoratus is a dwarf shrub with globular, pink or violet flower heads but care is needed to distinguish it from other Thymus species. Careful study and a comparison with specimens preserved in the herbarium of the Botanic Gardens of Lisbon University showed that the species present was indeed Thymus camphoratus. The next task was to search for other localities where T. camphoratus occurred. Fieldwork suggests that, although it is not rare in the western Algarve, the populations at the Alvor Estuary are now at, or near, the eastern limit of the species' range. On the basis of the presence of Thymus camphoratus and other priority species, the Alvor Estuary, including the headland of Quinta da Rocha, has been proposed as a Natura 2000 protected area.

Baseline studies

For the environmentalist, the recognition that a species is present in an area marks the beginning of scientific study, not its end. If we are to try and preserve a species then we must seek to understand how abundant it is and to evaluate whether its numbers are expanding, static or in decline. Further studies on the Camphor Thyme occurrences on the Quinta da Rocha headland have involved careful mapping of the distribution of the species within this study area and estimating total numbers and coverage. The results suggest that the species is thriving here and has a widespread, if patchy, occurrence. Many unanswered questions about the T. camphoratus distribution have been identified and further avenues of research have been suggested. Of vital importance for the future is the way that this work has provided a baseline that will enable future botanists to know whether the attempts to protect this plant are failing or succeeding. As a management plan for the Quinta da Rocha area is created and implemented, it will be baseline information on species like the Camphor Thyme that show how well such a plan is working.

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The A Rocha work on Camphor Thyme is being supervised by Will Simonson. For more information, contact Will Simonson at A Rocha Portugal.