''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial
herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
s and shrubs in the family
Lamiaceae
The Lamiaceae ( )
or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...
, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families /ref> It is the genus of basil and the name is from the Ancient Greek word for basil, (). Its best known species are the cooking herb great basil, ''O. basilicum'', and the
medicinal herb
Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including defense and protection ag ...
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
The ...
e of some
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species including ''
Endoclita malabaricus
''Endoclita malabaricus'' is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae. It is known from India.
Food plants for this species include ''Acacia'', ''Ailanthus'', ''Albizia'', ''Bridelia'', ''Cajanus'', ''Callicarpa'', ''Camellia'', '' Cassia'', '' ...
''.
Taxonomy
Species
Known ''Ocimum'' species include:
# ''
Ocimum americanum
''Ocimum americanum'', known as American basil, lime basil, or hoary basil, is a species of annual herb in the family Lamiaceae. Despite the misleading name, it is native to Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia. The specie ...
'' L. (tropical
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
), Indian Subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia; naturalized in Queensland, Christmas Island, and parts of tropical America
#'' Ocimum amicorum'' A.J.Paton - Tanzania
#''
Ocimum angustifolium
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' Benth. - southeastern Africa from Kenya to Tranasvaal
# '' Ocimum basilicum'' L. – Basil, Sweet basil - China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia; naturalized in Russia, Ukraine, Africa, Mexico, Central America, South America, and various oceanic islands
#'' Ocimum burchellianum'' Benth. - Cape Province of South Africa
# '' Ocimum campechianum'' Mill. – Amazonian basil - widespread across Florida, Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America
#'' Ocimum canescens'' A.J.Paton - Tanzania
#''
Ocimum carnosum
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' (Spreng.) Link & Otto ex Benth. - Mexico, South America
# ''
Ocimum centraliafricanum
''Ocimum centraliafricanum'', the copper flower or copper plant, is a perennial herb found in central Africa (DRC, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe). It is well known for its tolerance of high levels of copper in the soil, and is even used by geologi ...
'' R.E.Fr - Zaïre, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
#'' Ocimum circinatum'' A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Somalia
#'' Ocimum coddii'' (S.D.Williams & K.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
#''
Ocimum cufodontii
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' (Lanza) A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya
#''
Ocimum dambicola
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' A.J.Paton - Tanzania, Zambia
#''
Ocimum decumbens
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' Gürke - from Zaïre to South Africa
#''
Ocimum dhofarense
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' (Sebald) A.J.Paton - Oman
#''
Ocimum dolomiticola
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
#''
Ocimum ellenbeckii
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' Gürke - Ethiopia, Zaïre
#''
Ocimum empetroides
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' (P.A.Duvign.) ined. - Zaïre
#''
Ocimum ericoides
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
#''
Ocimum filamentosum
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' Forssk. - eastern + southern Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
#''
Ocimum fimbriatum
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' Briq. - central Africa
#''
Ocimum fischeri
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
'' Gürke - Kenya, Tanzania
#'' Ocimum formosum'' Gürke - Bale Province of Ethiopia
#''
Ocimum forskolei
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' Benth. - eastern Africa from Egypt to Kenya, Angola, Arabian Peninsula
#'' Ocimum fruticosum'' (Ryding) A.J.Paton - Somalia
#'' Ocimum grandiflorum'' Lam. - Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia
#''
Ocimum gratissimum
''Ocimum gratissimum'', also known as clove basil, African basil, and in Hawaii as wild basil,Ocimum hirsutissimum'' (P.A.Duvign.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
#'' Ocimum irvinei'' J.K.Morton - West Africa
#'' Ocimum jamesii'' Sebald - Ethiopia, Somalia
#''
Ocimum kenyense
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Kenya, Tanzania
# '' Ocimum kilimandscharicum'' Baker ex Gürke – Camphor basil - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia; naturalized in Angola, India, Myanmar, Thailand
#'' Ocimum labiatum'' (N.E.Br.) A.J.Paton - Mozambique, South Africa, Eswatini
#'' Ocimum lamiifolium'' Hochst. ex Benth - eastern + central Africa
#''
Ocimum masaiense
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Ngong Hills in Kenya
#'' Ocimum mearnsii'' (Ayob. ex Sebald) A.J.Paton - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
#'' Ocimum metallorum'' (P.A.Duvign.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
# ''
Ocimum minimum
''Ocimum minimum'' is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is sometimes referred to as bush basil in reference to the way this perennial grows.
Portugal
In Portugal, the plant is known as ''manjerico'', and is an iconic figure of the ...
'' L. - India, Sri Lanka
#'' Ocimum minutiflorum'' (Sebald) A.J.Paton - eastern + central Africa
#'' Ocimum mitwabense'' (Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
#''
Ocimum monocotyloides
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' (Plancke ex Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
#'' Ocimum motjaneanum'' McCallum & K.Balkwill - Eswatini
#'' Ocimum natalense'' Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
#'' Ocimum nudicaule'' Benth. - Brazil, Paraguay, Misiones Province of Argentina
#''
Ocimum nummularia
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' (S.Moore) A.J.Paton - Somalia
#''
Ocimum obovatum
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' E.Mey. ex Benth. - tropical Africa, Madagascar
#'' Ocimum ovatum'' Benth. - Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina
#''
Ocimum pseudoserratum
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' (M.R.Ashby) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
#'' Ocimum pyramidatum'' (A.J.Paton) A.J.Paton - Tanzania
#''
Ocimum reclinatum
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
Ocimum serpyllifolium
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus o ...
Ocimum tenuiflorum
''Ocimum tenuiflorum'', commonly known as holy basil, ''tulsi'' or ''tulasi'', is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian ...
'' L. – Holy basil, tulsi - China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Queensland; naturalized in Kenya, Fiji, French Polynesia, West Indies, Venezuela
#'' Ocimum transamazonicum'' C.Pereira - Brazil
#'' Ocimum tubiforme'' (R.D.Good) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
#''
Ocimum urundense
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' Robyns & Lebrun - Burundi, Tanzania
#''
Ocimum vandenbrandei
''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of all 6 inhabited continents, with the greatest number of species in Africa. It is the genus of ...
'' (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke ex Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Marungu Province in Zaïre
#'' Ocimum vanderystii'' (De Wild.) A.W.Hill. - Zaïre, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola, Zambia
#'' Ocimum viphyense'' A.J.Paton - Malawi, Zambia
#'' Ocimum waterbergense'' (S.D.Williams & K.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
Hybrids
*'' Ocimum × africanum'' Lour. - Africa, Madagascar, China, Indian Subcontinent, Indochina; naturalized in Guatemala, Chiapas, Netherlands Antilles, eastern Brazil
*'' Ocimum × citriodorum'' (''O. americanum'' × ''O. basilicum'') – Lemon basil
*''Ocimum kilimandscharicum'' × ''basilicum'' ' Dark Opal' – African blue basil
Formerly placed here
*''
Basilicum polystachyon
''Basilicum'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1802. It contains only one known species, ''Basilicum polystachyon'', native to Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia (Saudi Arabia, India, China, Indochina, Borneo, Phil ...
'' (L.) Moench (as ''O. polystachyon'' L.)
*''
Isodon inflexus
''Isodon'' is a group of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae described as a genus in 1840. It is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Old World, primarily Asia but two species are from Africa. Many of the species are endemic to ...
'' (Thunb.) Kudô (as ''O. inflexum'' Thunb.)
*''
Frankenia salina
''Frankenia salina'', often called alkali heath or alkali seaheath, is a perennial herb native to California, Nevada, Mexico and Chile. It is uncommon even in the region where it is most likely to be found, just north of the San Francisco Bay Are ...
Orthosiphon aristatus
''Orthosiphon aristatus'', commonly known as cat's whiskers or Java tea, is a plant species in the family Lamiaceae (also known Labiatae). The plant is a medicinal herb found mainly throughout southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, South East A ...
Plectranthus scutellarioides
''Coleus scutellarioides'', commonly known as coleus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae (the mint or deadnettle family), native to southeast Asia through to Australia. Typically growing to tall and wide, it is a bushy, woo ...
'' (L.) R.Br. (as ''O. scutellarioides'' L.)
Cultivation and uses
Most culinary and ornamental basils are cultivars of '' Ocimum basilicum'' and there are many hybrids between species. Thai basil (''O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora'') is a common ingredient in Thai cuisine, with a strong flavour similar to
aniseed
Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia.
The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and tar ...
, used to flavour
Thai curries
Thai curry ( th, แกง, translit=kaeng, ) is a dish in Thai cuisine made from curry paste, coconut milk or water, meat, seafood, vegetables or fruit, and herbs. Curries in Thailand mainly differ from the curries in India in their use of ingr ...
and stir-fries. Lemon basil (''Ocimum × citriodorum'') is a
hybrid
Hybrid may refer to:
Science
* Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding
** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species
** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
between ''O. americanum'' and ''O. basilicum''. It is noted for its lemon flavour and used in cooking.
Holy basil or ''tulsi'' ('' O. tenuiflorum'') is a sacred herb revered as dear to
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
in some sects of
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
. ''Tulsi'' is used in teas, healing remedies, and cosmetics in India, and it is also used in Thai cooking. Amazonian basil ('' O. campechianum'') is a South American species often utilized in
ayahuasca
AyahuascaPronounced as in the UK and in the US. Also occasionally known in English as ''ayaguasca'' (Spanish-derived), ''aioasca'' (Brazilian Portuguese-derived), or as ''yagé'', pronounced or . Etymologically, all forms but ''yagé'' descen ...
rituals for its smell which is said to help avoid bad visions. '' O. centraliafricanum'' is valued as an
indicator species
A bioindicator is any species (an indicator species) or group of species whose function, population, or status can reveal the qualitative status of the environment. The most common indicator species are animals. For example, copepods and other sma ...