Ocimum americanum

Ocimum americanum, known as American basil, lime basil,[2] or hoary basil,[3] is a species of annual herb in the family Lamiaceae. Despite the misleading name, it is native to Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia. The species is naturalized in Queensland, Christmas Island, and parts of tropical America.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Ocimum americanum
A flowering stalk of O. americanum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Ocimum
Species:
O. americanum
Binomial name
Ocimum americanum
Synonyms[1]
  • Ocimum album Roxb.
  • Ocimum brachiatum Blume
  • Ocimum canum Sims
  • Ocimum dichotomum Hochst. ex Benth.
  • Ocimum dinteri Briq.
  • Ocimum fluminense Vell.
  • Ocimum fruticulosum Burch.
  • Ocimum hispidulum Schumach. & Thonn.
  • Ocimum incanescens Mart.
  • Ocimum stamineum Sims
  • Ocimum thymoides Baker

Description and uses

It is a hairy annual herbaceous plant that grows up to 40 cm tall, with toothed, opposite leaves and small, white or purple flowers in clusters.[13] The plant has a long taproot that extends deep into the ground. The entire plant is highly aromatic, with an odor comparable to citrus. As such, it can be used for culinary purposes in similar ways to sweet basil (O. basilicum).[14] It is also used for essential oil whose scent appears to be a natural blend between that of lime peels and that of O. basilicum.[15] The plant has medicinal properties as well.[16]

References
  1. The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 11 June 2016
  2. Ocimum americanum var. americanum JCU Australia, 19 October 2015, retrieved 7 August 2021
  3. USDA GRIN Taxonomy, retrieved 11 June 2016
  4. "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew".
  5. Flora of China Vol. 17 Page 296, 灰罗勒 hui luo le, Ocimum americanum Linnaeus, Cent. Pl. 1, 15. 1755.
  6. Berhaut, J. (1975). Flore illustrée du Sénégal 4: 1-625. Gouvernement du Sénégal, Ministère du développement rural direction des eaux et forêta, Dakar.
  7. Boulvert, Y. (1977). Catalogue de la Flore de Centrafrique 2(1): 1-85. ORSTOM, Bangui.
  8. George, A.S., Orchard, A.E. & Hewson, H.J. (eds.) (1993). Oceanic islands 2. Flora of Australia 50: 1-606. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
  9. Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
  10. Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  11. Khanam, M. & Hassan, M.A. (2008). Lamiaceae. Flora of Bangladesh 58: 1-161. Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka.
  12. Paton, A.J., Bramley, G., Ryding, O., Polhill, R., Harvey, Y., Iwarsson, M., Willis, F., Phillipson, P., Balkwill, K., Lukhoba, C., Otiend, D & Harley (2009). Lamiaceae (Labiatae). Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-430.
  13. "Ocimum americanum L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  14. Lime Basil Information and facts Specialty Produce, retrieved 7 August 2021
  15. "E-Prosea Detail". proseanet.org. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  16. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2014-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)


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