''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 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 ...

, ''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 Plant defense against h ...

''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 ''Endoclita malabaricus'' is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae. It is known from the Western Ghats of India. At rest it looks like a dry leaf. The species overlaps in range with '' Endoclita magnus''. Adult moths are active particularly ...

''.

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 ''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 spec ...

'' 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 ''Ocimum campechianum'' is a plant species in the family Lamiaceae, widespread across Mexico, Central America, South America, the West Indies, and Florida. Leaves of ''Ocimum campechianum'' are eaten in Brazil's Amazon jungle. Similar to basil, ...

'' 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 ''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 ''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 ''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 spec ...

'' (P.A.Duvign.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre *''

Ocimum irvinei ''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 spec ...

'' J.K.Morton - west Africa *'' Ocimum jamesii'' Sebald - Ethiopia, Somalia *'' Ocimum kenyense'' Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Kenya, Tanzania *''

Ocimum kilimandscharicum ''Ocimum kilimandscharicum'', also known as camphor basil, is a basil species native to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, and Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in th ...

'' 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 ''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 spec ...

'' (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 ''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 spec ...

'' 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 ''Ocimum tenuiflorum'', commonly known as holy basil, ''tulasi'' or ''tulsi'' (), is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is widely cultivated throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. It is native to tropical and subtropical r ...

'' L. – Holy basil, tulsi - China, Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, New Guinea, Queensland *'' Ocimum transamazonicum'' C.Pereira - Brazil *''

Ocimum tubiforme ''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 spec ...

'' (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 ''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 spec ...

'' (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 African blue basil ('' Ocimum kilimandscharicum'' × ''basilicum'' ' Dark Opal') is a hybrid basil variety, a cross between camphor basil and dark opal basil. It is one of a few types of basil that are perennial. African blue basil plants are ...

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'' (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 ...

'' (Molina) I.M.Johnst. (as ''O. salinum'' Molina) *''

Mosla scabra ''Mosla'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described as a genus in 1875. It is native to eastern Asia, the Himalayas, and southeastern Asia. ;Species # '' Mosla bracteata'' Doan ex Suddee & A.J.Paton - Vietnam # '' Mosla caval ...

'' (Thunb.) C.Y.Wu & H.W.Li (as ''O. punctulatum'' J.F.Gmel. and ''O. scabrum'' Thunb.) *''

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 ...

'' (Blume) Miq. (as ''O. aristatum'' Blume) *''

Orthosiphon pallidus ''Orthosiphon'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae native to Africa, Southern Asia and Queensland, with one species ''(O. americanus)'' in Colombia. They are herbaceous shrubs which grow to a height of . Some ''Orthosiphon'' species are ...

'' (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 Thai basil is a type of basil native to Southeast Asia that has been cultivated to provide distinctive traits. Widely used throughout Southeast Asia, its flavor, described as anise- and licorice-like and slightly spicy, is more stable unde ...

(''O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora'') is a common ingredient in

Thai cuisine Thai cuisine (, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with aromatics and spicy heat. The Australian chef David Thompson (chef), David Thompson, an expert on Thai food, observes that ...

, with a strong flavour similar to

aniseed Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, ...

, 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 Lemon basil, hoary basil, Thai lemon basil, or Lao basil,Dorothy Culloty (''Ocimum'' × ''africanum'') is a hybrid between basil (''Ocimum basilicum'') and American basil ('' Ocimum americanum''). The herb is grown primarily in northeastern ...

(''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 diff ...

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 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 ...

for the presence of copper deposits. Use in Ethiopia

References

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