Perennial of the Plantaginaceae family, endemic to the southwest of France and the north of the Iberian Peninsula. It is confined to coastal sands and fixed dunes, as well as siliceous gravel of the Atlantic coastal heaths, generally at low altitude.
It forms small low and spreading clumps, 5 to 15 cm in height, with a prostrate to ascending habit. The foliage is remarkable: the leaves are oval to elliptical, short, thick, of a glaucous to bluish green, indeed reminiscent of those of thyme, which gives it its epithet. This fleshy texture and dense foliage give it a compact and miniature appearance quite unique within the Linaria genus.
The flowers are a bright and clear yellow, with a well-developed spur and orange palate, carried in small upright clusters that clearly emerge above the foliage. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from May to July.
In cultivation, it requires full sun, a sandy or very well-drained soil, poor and dry, with good protection against winter moisture. Its small size, atypical foliage for the genus, and the purity of its bright yellow flowers make it a sought-after subject for troughs and rockeries with a mineral character.