Ocimum

Short description: Genus of flowering plants

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]

* Becium Lindl.
* Erythrochlamys Gürke
* Hyperaspis Briq.
* Nautochilus Bremek.

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.

## Contents

* 1 Ecology
* 2 Taxonomy
* 2.1 Species
* 2.2 Hybrids
* 2.3 Formerly placed here
* 3 Cultivation and uses
* 4 See also
* 5 References

## Ecology

Ocimum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita malabaricus.[citation needed]

## Taxonomy

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

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

* 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 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

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

* List of basil cultivars

## References

1. ↑ "Genus: Ocimum L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-09-10. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?8358.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ocimum L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science" (in en). https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:21070-1.
4. ↑ "Basil - Ocimum basilicum | Washington College". https://www.washcoll.edu/learn-by-doing/food/plants/lamiaceae/ocimum-basilicum.php.
5. ↑ "Ocimum L.". https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000026511.
6. ↑ Steele, John J. (2006). "Perfumeros and the Sacred Use of Fragrance in Amazonian Shamanism". in Jim Drobnick. The Smell Culture Reader. Berg Publishers. p. 230.

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