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Ocimum basilicum - Basil leaves

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Basil leaves

Basil leaves also called great basil, Ocimum basilicum or Saint-Joseph's-wort, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is also called the "king of herbs" and the "royal herb". The name "basil" comes from Greek basilikón phutón "royal/kingly plant". This medicinal herb can help with flatulence, lack of appetite, cuts, and scrapes.Harvest the young leaves of this annual plant as needed.

Uses

Parts Used

Chemical Composition

Mature seeds contain alkali like abrine, precatorine, etc., abraline; toxalbumin like abrin I, II, III, etc., abrus agglutinin I, II (A. P. A Ⅰ, Ⅱ), sterols like abricin, squnalene, alcohol likeβ-amyrin, cycloartenol, 5β-cholanic acid, abrussic acid, sophoradiol, trimethyltryptophan abrusin galactose, arabinose, xylose, polysaccharide and flavonoids compounds, Seed covers contain gallic acid, abranin), delphinidin.[1]

Common names

Language Common name
Kannada Gulaganji
Hindi Ban tulsi, Jangli tuls
Malayalam Thulasi, Sivathulasi, Krishnathulasi
Tamil Gundumani, Kundumani
Telugu Gurivinda or Guriginja
Marathi NA
Gujarathi NA
Punjabi NA
Kashmiri NA
Sanskrit Gunja
English Basilie, Sweet Basil


Habit

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature
simple silky Fresh basil leaves have a strong and character­istic aroma, not comparable to any other spice, although there is a hint of cloves trace­able

.[2]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
Unisexual 2-4cm long white 4 flowers are arranged in a terminal spike

Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information
oblong pod Thinly septate, pilose, wrinkled seeds upto 5 Fruiting throughout the year {{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

How to plant/cultivate

Basil grows between 30–130 cm (12–51 in) tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves 3–11 cm (1.2–4.3 in) long and 1–6 cm (0.39–2.36 in) broad. The flowers are small, white in color and arranged in a terminal spike. Unusual among Lamiaceae, the four stamens and the pistil are not pushed under the upper lip of the corolla, but lie over the inferior lip. After entomophilous pollination, the corolla falls off and four round achenes develop inside the bilabiate calyx.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Photo Gallery

References

External Links