''Ocimum'' is a genus of aromatic annual and perennial

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

s and shrubs in the family

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family (biology), 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 (herb), ba ...

, 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 PlantFamilies
/ref> Its best known species are the cooking herb basil, ''O. basilicum'', and the medicinal herb ''tulsi'' (holy basil), ''O. tenuiflorum''.

Ecology

''Ocimum'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including '' Endoclita malabaricus''.

Taxonomy

The genus was first published by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

in his book ''

Species Plantarum ' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genus, genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial nomenclature ...

'' on page 597 in 1753. The genus name of ''Ocimum'' is derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

word for basil, ().

Species

Accepted ''Ocimum'' species by

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

, and

World Flora Online World Flora Online is an Internet-based compendium of the world's plant species. Description The World Flora Online (WFO) is an open-access database, launched in October 2012 as a follow-up project to The Plant List, with the aim of publishi ...

; *''

Ocimum albostellatum ''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. Its best known spe ...

'' *'' Ocimum americanum'' L. (tropical

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

), Indian subcontinent, China, southeast Asia *'' Ocimum amicorum'' A.J.Paton - Tanzania *'' Ocimum angustifolium'' Benth. - southeastern Africa from Kenya to Tranasvaal *''

Ocimum basilicum Basil (, ; , ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' (, )), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a hardiness (plants), tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" r ...

'' L. – (Basil, Sweet basil) - China, Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia *''

Ocimum burchellianum ''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. Its best known spe ...

'' Benth. - Cape Province of South Africa *'' Ocimum campechianum'' Mill. – Amazonian basil - Florida, Mexico, West Indies, central and South America *''

Ocimum canescens ''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. Its best known spe ...

'' 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. Its best known spe ...

'' (Spreng.) Link & Otto ex Benth. - Mexico, South America *'' Ocimum centraliafricanum'' R.E.Fr - Zaïre, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe *''

Ocimum circinatum ''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. Its best known spe ...

'' A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Somalia *''

Ocimum coddii ''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. Its best known spe ...

'' (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. Its best known spe ...

'' (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. Its best known spe ...

'' 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. Its best known spe ...

'' 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. Its best known spe ...

'' (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. Its best known spe ...

'' 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. Its best known spe ...

'' Gürke - Ethiopia, Zaïre *'' Ocimum empetroides'' (P.A.Duvign.) ined. - Zaïre *'' Ocimum ericoides'' (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke) A.J.Paton - Zaïre *'' Ocimum filamentosum'' Forssk. - eastern + southern Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar *'' Ocimum fimbriatum'' Briq. - central Africa *'' Ocimum fischeri'' Gürke - Kenya, Tanzania *'' Ocimum formosum'' Gürke - Ethiopia *'' Ocimum forskolei'' 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'' L. – African basil - Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, Bismarck Archipelago *'' Ocimum hirsutissimum'' (P.A.Duvign.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre *'' Ocimum irvinei'' J.K.Morton - west Africa *'' Ocimum jamesii'' Sebald - Ethiopia, Somalia *'' Ocimum kenyense'' Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Kenya, Tanzania *'' Ocimum kilimandscharicum'' Baker ex Gürke – (Camphor basil) - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia *'' Ocimum labiatum'' (N.E.Br.) A.J.Paton - Mozambique, South Africa, *'' Ocimum lamiifolium'' Hochst. ex Benth - eastern + central Africa *'' Ocimum masaiense'' 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 minutiflorum'' (Sebald) A.J.Paton - eastern + central Africa *'' Ocimum mitwabense'' (Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre *'' Ocimum monocotyloides'' (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, Argentina *'' Ocimum nummularia'' (S.Moore) A.J.Paton - Somalia *'' Ocimum obovatum'' E.Mey. ex Benth. - tropical Africa, Madagascar *'' Ocimum ovatum'' Benth. - Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina *'' Ocimum pseudoserratum'' (M.R.Ashby) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa *'' Ocimum pyramidatum'' (A.J.Paton) A.J.Paton - Tanzania *'' Ocimum reclinatum'' (S.D.Williams & M.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal *'' Ocimum sebrabergensis'' *'' Ocimum serpyllifolium'' Forssk. - Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia *'' Ocimum serratum'' (Schltr.) A.J.Paton - South Africa, Eswatini *'' Ocimum spectabile'' (Gürke) A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia *'' Ocimum spicatum'' Deflers - Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya, Somalia *'' Ocimum tenuiflorum'' L. – Holy basil, tulsi - China, Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, New Guinea, Queensland *'' Ocimum transamazonicum'' C.Pereira - Brazil *'' Ocimum tubiforme'' (R.D.Good) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa *'' Ocimum urundense'' Robyns & Lebrun - Burundi, Tanzania *'' Ocimum vandenbrandei'' (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke ex Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre *'' Ocimum vanderystii'' (De Wild.) A.W.Hill. - Zaïre, Congo, Angola, Zambia *'' Ocimum verticillifolium'' *'' 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'' (L.) Moench (as ''O. polystachyon'' L.) *'' Isodon inflexus'' (Thunb.) Kudô (as ''O. inflexum'' Thunb.) *'' Frankenia salina'' (Molina) I.M.Johnst. (as ''O. salinum'' Molina) *'' Mosla scabra'' (Thunb.) C.Y.Wu & H.W.Li (as ''O. punctulatum'' J.F.Gmel. and ''O. scabrum'' Thunb.) *'' Orthosiphon aristatus'' (Blume) Miq. (as ''O. aristatum'' Blume) *'' Orthosiphon pallidus'' (as ''O. somaliense'' Briq.) * ''Perilla frutescens'' var. ''crispa'' (Thunb.) W.Deane (as ''O. crispum'' Thunb.) * ''Perilla frutescens'' var. ''frutescens'' (as ''O. frutescens'' L.) *'' Plectranthus scutellarioides'' (L.) R.Br. (as ''O. scutellarioides'' L.)

Cultivation and uses

Most culinary and ornamental basils are cultivars of ''

'' 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, used to flavour

Thai curries Thai curry (, ) is a dish in Thai cuisine made from Thai curry paste, curry paste, coconut milk or water, meat, seafood, vegetables or fruit, and herbs. Curry, Curries in Thailand mainly differ from the Indian subcontinent in their use of ingredi ...

and stir-fries. Lemon basil (''Ocimum × citriodorum'') is a hybrid between ''O. americanum'' and ''O. basilicum''. It is noted for its

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

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 Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

in some sects of

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...

. ''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 rituals for its smell which is said to help avoid bad visions. '' O. centraliafricanum'' is valued as an indicator species for the presence of copper deposits. Use in Ethiopia

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q148818 Herbs Lamiaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus