Ocimum

Ocimum
Ocimum basilicum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Lamiaceae
Subfamily:	Nepetoideae
Tribe:	Ocimeae
Genus:	Ocimum L.[1]
Synonyms[2]
Becium Lindl. Erythrochlamys Gürke Hyperaspis Briq. Nautochilus Bremek.

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.^[2] Its best known species are the cooking herb Cooking basil, O. basilicum and the medicinal herb Tulsi (holy basil) , O. tenuiflorum.

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. Amazonian basil (O. campechianum) is a South American variety often utilized in ayahuasca rituals for its smell which is said to help avoid bad visions.^[3] Holy Basil or Tulsi (O. tenuiflorum) is a sacred herb in India, used in teas, healing remedies, and cosmetics. The plant is worshiped as dear to Vishnu in some sects of Vaishnavism. It is also used in Thai cooking. Lemon Basil (Ocimum × citriodorum) is a hybrid between O. americanum and O. basilicum. It is noted for its lemon flavour and used in cooking. O. centraliafricanum is valued as an indicator species for the presence of copper deposits.

Species^[2]

1. Ocimum × africanum Lour. - Africa, Madagascar, China, Indian Subcontinent, Indochina; naturalized in Guatemala, Chiapas, Netherlands Antilles, eastern Brazil
2. Ocimum americanum L. (tropical Africa), Indian Subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia; naturalized in Queensland, Christmas Island, and parts of tropical America
3. Ocimum amicorum A.J.Paton - Tanzania
4. Ocimum angustifolium Benth. - southeastern Africa from Kenya to Tranasvaal
5. Ocimum basilicum L. – Basil, Sweet basil - China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia; naturalized in Russia, Ukraine, Africa, Mexico, Central America, South America, and various oceanic islands
6. Ocimum burchellianum Benth. - Cape Province of South Africa
7. Ocimum campechianum Mill. – Amazonian basil - widespread across Florida, Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America
8. Ocimum canescens A.J.Paton - Tanzania
9. Ocimum carnosum (Spreng.) Link & Otto ex Benth. - Mexico, South America
10. Ocimum centraliafricanum R.E.Fr - Zaïre, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
11. Ocimum circinatum A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Somalia
12. Ocimum coddii (S.D.Williams & K.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
13. Ocimum cufodontii (Lanza) A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya
14. Ocimum dambicola A.J.Paton - Tanzania, Zambia
15. Ocimum decumbens Gürke - from Zaïre to South Africa
16. Ocimum dhofarense (Sebald) A.J.Paton - Oman
17. Ocimum dolomiticola A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
18. Ocimum ellenbeckii Gürke - Ethiopia, Zaïre
19. Ocimum empetroides (P.A.Duvign.) ined. - Zaïre
20. Ocimum ericoides (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
21. Ocimum filamentosum Forssk. - eastern + southern Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
22. Ocimum fimbriatum Briq. - central Africa
23. Ocimum fischeri Gürke - Kenya, Tanzania
24. Ocimum formosum Gürke - Bale Province of Ethiopia
25. Ocimum forskoelei Benth. - eastern Africa from Egypt to Kenya, Angola, Arabian Peninsula
26. Ocimum fruticosum (Ryding) A.J.Paton - Somalia
27. Ocimum grandiflorum Lam. - Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia
28. Ocimum gratissimum L. – African basil - Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, Bismarck Archipelago; naturalized in Polynesia, Mexico, Panama, West Indies, Brazil, Bolivia
29. Ocimum hirsutissimum (P.A.Duvign.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
30. Ocimum irvinei J.K.Morton - West Africa
31. Ocimum jamesii Sebald - Ethiopia, Somalia
32. Ocimum kenyense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Kenya, Tanzania
33. Ocimum kilimandscharicum Baker ex Gürke – Camphor basil - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia; naturalized in Angola, India, Myanmar, Thailand
34. Ocimum labiatum (N.E.Br.) A.J.Paton - Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland
35. Ocimum lamiifolium Hochst. ex Benth - eastern + central Africa
36. Ocimum masaiense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Ngong Hills in Kenya
37. Ocimum mearnsii (Ayob. ex Sebald) A.J.Paton - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
38. Ocimum metallorum (P.A.Duvign.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
39. Ocimum minimum L. - India, Sri Lanka
40. Ocimum minutiflorum (Sebald) A.J.Paton - eastern + central Africa
41. Ocimum mitwabense (Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
42. Ocimum monocotyloides (Plancke ex Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
43. Ocimum motjaneanum McCallum & K.Balkwill - Swaziland
44. Ocimum natalense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
45. Ocimum nudicaule Benth. - Brazil, Paraguay, Misiones Province of Argentina
46. Ocimum nummularia (S.Moore) A.J.Paton - Somalia
47. Ocimum obovatum E.Mey. ex Benth. - tropical Africa, Madagascar
48. Ocimum ovatum Benth. - Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina
49. Ocimum pseudoserratum (M.R.Ashby) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
50. Ocimum pyramidatum (A.J.Paton) A.J.Paton - Tanzania
51. Ocimum reclinatum (S.D.Williams & M.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
52. Ocimum serpyllifolium Forssk. - Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia
53. Ocimum serratum (Schltr.) A.J.Paton - South Africa, Swaziland
54. Ocimum somaliense Briq. - Ethiopia
55. Ocimum spectabile (Gürke) A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia
56. Ocimum spicatum Deflers - Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya, Somalia
57. Ocimum tenuiflorum L. – Holy Basil, Tulsi - China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Queensland; naturalized in Kenya, Fiji, French Polynesia, West Indies, Venezuela
58. Ocimum transamazonicum C.Pereira - Brazil
59. Ocimum tubiforme (R.D.Good) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
60. Ocimum urundense Robyns & Lebrun - Burundi, Tanzania
61. Ocimum vandenbrandei (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke ex Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Marungu Province in Zaïre
62. Ocimum vanderystii (De Wild.) A.W.Hill. - Zaïre, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola, Zambia
63. Ocimum viphyense A.J.Paton - Malawi, Zambia
64. Ocimum waterbergense (S.D.Williams & K.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa

Hybrids

• 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)
• 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.)

Ecology

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

See also

• List of basil cultivars
• Basil

References

1. "Genus: Ocimum L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2004-09-10. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
2. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
3. 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.