Ocimum

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. Holy Basil or Tulsi (O. tenuiflorum) 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 (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.

1. Ocimum americanum L. (tropical Africa), 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 (Spreng.) 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 (S.D.Williams & K.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
12. Ocimum cufodontii (Lanza) 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 (Sebald) A.J.Paton - Oman
16. Ocimum dolomiticola A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
17. Ocimum ellenbeckii Gürke - Ethiopia, Zaïre
18. Ocimum empetroides (P.A.Duvign.) ined. - Zaïre
19. Ocimum ericoides (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke) 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 forskoelei Benth. - eastern Africa from Egypt to Kenya, Angola, Arabian Peninsula
25. Ocimum fruticosum (Ryding) 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 (P.A.Duvign.) 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 (N.E.Br.) 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 (Ayob. ex Sebald) A.J.Paton - Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
37. Ocimum metallorum (P.A.Duvign.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
38. Ocimum minimum L. - India, Sri Lanka
39. Ocimum minutiflorum (Sebald) A.J.Paton - eastern + central Africa
40. Ocimum mitwabense (Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Zaïre
41. Ocimum monocotyloides (Plancke ex Ayob.) 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 (S.Moore) 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 (M.R.Ashby) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
49. Ocimum pyramidatum (A.J.Paton) A.J.Paton - Tanzania
50. Ocimum reclinatum (S.D.Williams & M.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Mozambique, KwaZulu-Natal
51. Ocimum serpyllifolium Forssk. - Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia
52. Ocimum serratum (Schltr.) A.J.Paton - South Africa, Swaziland
53. Ocimum somaliense Briq. - Ethiopia
54. Ocimum spectabile (Gürke) 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 (R.D.Good) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa
59. Ocimum urundense Robyns & Lebrun - Burundi, Tanzania
60. Ocimum vandenbrandei (P.A.Duvign. & Plancke ex Ayob.) A.J.Paton - Marungu Province in Zaïre
61. Ocimum vanderystii (De Wild.) A.W.Hill. - Zaïre, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola, Zambia
62. Ocimum viphyense A.J.Paton - Malawi, Zambia
63. Ocimum waterbergense (S.D.Williams & K.Balkwill) A.J.Paton - Northern Province of South Africa

Hybrids

Formerly placed here

Ecology

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