| Ocimum | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ocimum basilicum | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Nepetoideae |
| Tribe: | Ocimeae |
| Genus: | Ocimum L.[1] |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Ocimum /ˈɒsɪməm/ 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.[2] It is the genus of basil and its best known species are the cooking herb great basil, O. basilicum, and the medicinal herb tulsi (holy basil), O. tenuiflorum.
Ecology[edit]
Ocimum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita malabaricus.[citation needed]
Taxonomy[edit]
The genus was first published by Carl Linnaeus in his book Species Plantarum on page 597 in 1753.[3]
The genus name of Ocimum is derived from the Ancient Greek word for basil, ὤκιμον (ṓkimon).[4]
Species[edit]
Accepted Ocimum species by Plants of the World Online,[3] and World Flora Online;[5]
- Ocimum albostellatum (Verdc.) A.J.Paton
- Ocimum americanum L. (tropical Africa), Indian subcontinent, China, southeast Asia
- Ocimum amicorum A.J.Paton - Tanzania
- Ocimum angustifolium Benth. - southeastern Africa from Kenya to Tranasvaal
- Ocimum basilicum L. – (Basil, Sweet basil) - China, Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia
- Ocimum burchellianum Benth. - Cape Province of South Africa
- Ocimum campechianum Mill. – Amazonian basil - Florida, Mexico, West Indies, central and South America
- Ocimum canescens A.J.Paton - Tanzania
- Ocimum carnosum (Spreng.) Link & Otto ex Benth. - Mexico, South America
- Ocimum centraliafricanum 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 (Lanza) A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya
- Ocimum dambicola A.J.Paton - Tanzania, Zambia
- Ocimum decumbens Gürke - from Zaïre to South Africa
- Ocimum dhofarense (Sebald) A.J.Paton - Oman
- Ocimum dolomiticola A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
- Ocimum ellenbeckii 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 Swanepoel & van Jaarsv.
- 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 Baker
- Ocimum viphyense A.J.Paton - Malawi, Zambia
- Ocimum waterbergense (S.D.Williams & K.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
Hybrids[edit]
- 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[edit]
- 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 Royle ex Benth. (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[edit]
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.[citation needed] Lemon basil (Ocimum × citriodorum) is a hybrid between O. americanum and O. basilicum. It is noted for its lemon flavour and used in cooking.[citation needed]
Holy basil or tulsi (O. tenuiflorum) is a sacred herb revered as dear to Vishnu in some sects of Vaishnavism.[citation needed] Tulsi is used in teas, healing remedies, and cosmetics in India, and it is also used in Thai cooking.[citation needed] 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.[6] O. centraliafricanum is valued as an indicator species for the presence of copper deposits.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Genus: Ocimum L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-09-10. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ a b "Ocimum L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ "Basil - Ocimum basilicum | Washington College". www.washcoll.edu. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ "Ocimum L." worldfloraonline.org. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ Steele, John J. (2006). "Perfumeros and the Sacred Use of Fragrance in Amazonian Shamanism". In Jim Drobnick (ed.). The Smell Culture Reader. Berg Publishers. p. 230.
