Melaleuca thymifolia, known as the Thyme Honey-myrtle is a common Australian plant found in coastal areas, often in heathland, woodland and swampy edges. Growing on sandstone

Sandstone

Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...

 or clay based soils. This plant is often noticed in spring, with attractive purple flowers. It grows from north from Pigeon House Mountain

Pigeon House Mountain

Pigeon House Mountain is a mountain named by Captain James Cook during his voyage of discovery along Australia's eastern coast in 1770. The prominent remnant of a two tier sandstone structure, the summit rises to 720 m above sea level. Located on the South Coast region of New South Wales within the...

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A fragrant shrub usually seen around 1 metre high with corky bark and slender wiry stems. Leaves are small and thin. Mostly opposite on the stem, 10 to 15 mm long, 1 to 3 mm wide.. Flowers occur around October, being violet or purple, with feathery “claws”. Capsules have a unique jagged top.

The specific epithet “thymifolia” refers to the foliage which resemble those of the thyme

Thyme

Thyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...

. This plant first appeared in scientific literature in the year 1797 in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, authored by the prominent English botanist, James Smith

James Edward Smith

Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...

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