Ocimum
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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 species are the cooking herb basil, O. basilicum, and the medicinal herb tulsi (holy basil), O. tenuiflorum.
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 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 larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita malabaricus.
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 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, used to flavour Thai curries and stir-fries. Lemon basil (Ocimum × citriodorum) is a hybrid 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 in some sects of Vaishnavism. 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.
See also
List of basil cultivars
References
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1306451983 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.