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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.
Synonyms
	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] 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.^{[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]}

Use in Ethiopia

References

^ "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 PlantFamilies
^ ^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.