Ocimum


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. It is the genus of basil and the name is from the Ancient Greek word for basil, ὤκιμον. Its best known species are the cooking herb cooking basil, O. basilicum and the medicinal herb tulsi, O. tenuiflorum.

Cultivation and uses

Most culinary and ornamental basils are cultivars of Ocimum basilicum and there are many hybrids between species. Thai basil is a common ingredient in Thai cuisine, with a strong flavour similar to aniseed, used to flavour Thai curries and stir-fries. Amazonian basil is a South American variety often utilized in ayahuasca rituals for its smell which is said to help avoid bad visions. Holy basil or tulsi is a sacred herb in India, used in teas, healing remedies, and cosmetics. The plant is worshipped as dear to Vishnu in some sects of Vaishnavism. It is also used in Thai cooking. Lemon basil 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
  1. Ocimum americanum L., Indian Subcontinent, China, Southeast Asia; naturalized in Queensland, Christmas Island, and parts of tropical America
  2. Ocimum amicorum A.J.Paton - Tanzania
  3. Ocimum angustifolium Benth. - southeastern Africa from Kenya to Tranasvaal
  4. 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
  5. Ocimum burchellianum Benth. - Cape Province of South Africa
  6. Ocimum campechianum Mill. - Amazonian basil - widespread across Florida, Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America
  7. Ocimum canescens A.J.Paton - Tanzania
  8. Ocimum carnosum Link & Otto ex Benth. - Mexico, South America
  9. Ocimum centraliafricanum R.E.Fr - Zaïre, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  10. Ocimum circinatum A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Somalia
  11. Ocimum coddii A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
  12. Ocimum cufodontii A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya
  13. Ocimum dambicola A.J.Paton - Tanzania, Zambia
  14. Ocimum decumbens Gürke - from Zaïre to South Africa
  15. Ocimum dhofarense A.J.Paton - Oman
  16. Ocimum dolomiticola A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
  17. Ocimum ellenbeckii Gürke - Ethiopia, Zaïre
  18. Ocimum empetroides ined. - Zaïre
  19. Ocimum ericoides A.J.Paton - Zaïre
  20. Ocimum filamentosum Forssk. - eastern + southern Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar
  21. Ocimum fimbriatum Briq. - central Africa
  22. Ocimum fischeri Gürke - Kenya, Tanzania
  23. Ocimum formosum Gürke - Bale Province of Ethiopia
  24. Ocimum forskolei Benth. - eastern Africa from Egypt to Kenya, Angola, Arabian Peninsula
  25. Ocimum fruticosum A.J.Paton - Somalia
  26. Ocimum grandiflorum Lam. - Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia
  27. Ocimum gratissimum L. - African basil - Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, Bismarck Archipelago; naturalized in Polynesia, Mexico, Panama, West Indies, Brazil, Bolivia
  28. Ocimum hirsutissimum A.J.Paton - Zaïre
  29. Ocimum irvinei J.K.Morton - West Africa
  30. Ocimum jamesii Sebald - Ethiopia, Somalia
  31. Ocimum kenyense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Kenya, Tanzania
  32. Ocimum kilimandscharicum Baker ex Gürke - Camphor basil - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia; naturalized in Angola, India, Myanmar, Thailand
  33. Ocimum labiatum A.J.Paton - Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland
  34. Ocimum lamiifolium Hochst. ex Benth - eastern + central Africa
  35. Ocimum masaiense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Ngong Hills in Kenya
  36. Ocimum mearnsii A.J.Paton - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  37. Ocimum metallorum A.J.Paton - Zaïre
  38. Ocimum minimum L. - India, Sri Lanka
  39. Ocimum minutiflorum A.J.Paton - eastern + central Africa
  40. Ocimum mitwabense A.J.Paton - Zaïre
  41. Ocimum monocotyloides A.J.Paton - Zaïre
  42. Ocimum motjaneanum McCallum & K.Balkwill - Swaziland
  43. Ocimum natalense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton - Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
  44. Ocimum nudicaule Benth. - Brazil, Paraguay, Misiones Province of Argentina
  45. Ocimum nummularia A.J.Paton - Somalia
  46. Ocimum obovatum E.Mey. ex Benth. - tropical Africa, Madagascar
  47. Ocimum ovatum Benth. - Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina
  48. Ocimum pseudoserratum A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
  49. Ocimum pyramidatum A.J.Paton - Tanzania
  50. Ocimum reclinatum A.J.Paton - Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
  51. Ocimum serpyllifolium Forssk. - Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia
  52. Ocimum serratum A.J.Paton - South Africa, Swaziland
  53. Ocimum somaliense Briq. - Ethiopia
  54. Ocimum spectabile A.J.Paton - Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia
  55. Ocimum spicatum Deflers - Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya, Somalia
  56. Ocimum tenuiflorum L. - Holy basil, tulsi - China, Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Queensland; naturalized in Kenya, Fiji, French Polynesia, West Indies, Venezuela
  57. Ocimum transamazonicum C.Pereira - Brazil
  58. Ocimum tubiforme A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
  59. Ocimum urundense Robyns & Lebrun - Burundi, Tanzania
  60. Ocimum vandenbrandei A.J.Paton - Marungu Province in Zaïre
  61. Ocimum vanderystii A.W.Hill. - Zaïre, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola, Zambia
  62. Ocimum viphyense A.J.Paton - Malawi, Zambia
  63. Ocimum waterbergense A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa

    Hybrids

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