OCIMUM

Ocimum L., Sp. Pl. 2: 597. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 256. 1754; Benth. in DC., Prodr. 12: 31. 1848; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 607. 1885; Briquet, Fragment. Monogr. Bot. in Bull. Soc. Bot. Geneve 5: 20-107. 1889; Briquet in Engl. & Prantl., Nat. Pflanzenfam. ed. 1,4, 3 A: 369. 1897; Mukherjee, Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. 14, 1: 17. 1940; Wealth of India, Raw Materials 17: 79. 1966; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 17: 296; Hedge, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 292.

Annual or perennial herbs, subshrubs or shrubs, pleasantly strongly aromatic. Stems much branched, with an indumentum of eglandular spreading or retrorse, simple hairs. Leaves petiolate, densely gland-dotted on both surfaces, ovate or ovate-oblong, subentire or crenulate. Inflorescence 6-10-flowered verticillasters in terminal and lateral elongated or condensed racemes. Bracts small, deciduous; pedicels straight, apex recurved. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous. Calyx ovoid to campanulate, declined in fruit, glandular outside; tube within glabrous or densely villous; limb 2-lipped: upper lip entire, 1-lobed, much broader than others, decurrent on tube; lower lip 4-lobed, lateral teeth 2, ovate, lower teeth 2, narrow lanceolate-acuminate, upward curved in fruit. Corolla 2-lipped: upper lip 4-lobed, lobes subequal; lower lip entire, flat, spreading. Stamens 4, exserted, declined on lower corolla lip, didynamous, anterior 2 longer, filaments free or anterior 2 connate at base; anthers ovoid-reniform, 1-locellate, thecae unilocular, glabrous. Style longer than stamens; stigma bifid, lobes subequal, subulate or flat. Nutlets ovoid or subglobose or oblong-ellipsoid, apically rounded, finely rugulose, myxospermic (mucilaginous on wetting).

65 species

Ocimum basilicum

Ocimum basilicum L., Sp. Pl. 2: 597. 1753; Benth. in DC., Prodr. 12: 32. 1848; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 608. 1885; Mukherjee, Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. 14, 1: 18. 1940; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 17: 296; Hedge, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 294; keralaplants.in; O. basilicum var. purpurascens Benth. Pl. Asiat. Rar. 2: 13. 1830; O. basilicum var. thyrsiflorum (L.) Benth., Labiat. Gen. Spec. 5. 1832; O. thyrsiflorum L., Mant. Pl. 1: 84. 1767; O. nigrum Thouars ex Benth., Labiat. Gen. Spec. 5. 1832.

Annual or shortly perennial herbs. Stems erect, 20-80 cm tall, +/- glabrous, tinged red, much branched, branches quadrangular with one groove on each side, nodes pilose. Leaves opposite, simple; petiole 1-1.5 cm long, glabrous, sometimes narrowly winged apically; leaf blade ovate, ovate-lanceolate to oblong, 2.5-5 cm x 1-2.5 cm, both surfaces glabrous, gland-dotted, base attenuate, margin irregularly dentate or serrulate, apex subobtuse to shortly acuminate, lateral veins 3-4 paired, conspicuous abaxially. Thyrses terminal, 10-20 cm long, axis quadrangular, glabrous or puberulent; verticillasters closely placed, 6(-8)-flowered; bracts subsessile, ovate-lanceolate, 5-8 mm, base attenuate, margin ciliate, apex shortly acuminate, purple. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous, ca. 1.5 cm long; pedicel 3 mm long in anthesis, up to 5 mm long in fruiting. Calyx campanulate, ca. 7 mm x 5.5 mm, pubescent outside, pilose at or below throat inside; tube 4-4.5 mm long; limb 2-lipped : upper (posterior) lip entire, 1-lobed, lobe ca. 5 mm x 5.5 mm, purple, suborbicular, concave, apex mucronate, pilose at base abaxially; lower lip 4-lobed, 2 lateral lobes ovate, 2-2.5 mm long, green, margin ciliate, shortly acuminate, 2 lower (anterior) lobes lanceolate, 2.5-3 mm long, apex shortly acuminate, lobes with 3 longitudinal veins, the middle one passing into the apex, margin ciliate, apex acuminate; fruiting calyx persistent, conspicuously veined. Corolla purplish; tube ca. 5 mm long, throat +/- dilated; limb 2-lipped: upper lip wide, 5.5 mm x 7.5 mm, 4-lobed, lobes ca. 2 mm x 2 mm, flat, spreading, purplish; lower lip white, 1-lobed, ca. 7 mm x 2.5 mm, margin and apex dentate. Stamens 4, free, exserted, declined on lower corolla lip; filaments ca. 7 mm long, filaments of posterior stamens at the base have a transverse process, 1 mm, with tufted hairs; anthers 0.7 mm x 1 mm, reniform. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary ca. 1.7 mm long, 4-lobed, 4-locular, 1 ovule per loculus; style gynobasic, 9-10 mm long; stigma bifid. Nutlets dark brown or black, ovoid, 2-2.5 mm x 1 mm, finely rugulose, myxospermic.

Flowering and Fruiting: Almost throughout the year
Common Names: Basil, Niazbo, Sweet Basil; Babui Tulsi, Ram Tulsi (Hindi)