Most basils are cultivars of sweet basil. Ocimum basilicum has at least 60 varieties, which further complicates taxonomy. The exact taxonomy of basil is uncertain due to the immense number of cultivars, its ready polymorphy, and frequent cross-pollination (resulting in new hybrids) with other members of the genus Ocimum and within the species. ( February 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This section needs additional citations for verification. Some of these are useful as insect repellents, see § Insect repellent below.īasil is native to India and other tropical regions stretching from Africa to South East Asia, but has now become globalized due to human cultivation. In this species eugenol is synthesised from coniferyl acetate and NADPH. The aroma profile of basil includes 1,8-cineole and methyl eugenol. The clove scent of sweet basil is derived from eugenol. Other constituents include: 1,8-cineole, eugenol, and myrcene, among others. The essential oil from European basil contains high concentrations of linalool and methyl chavicol (estragole), in a ratio of about 3:1. The various basils have such distinct scents because the volatile aromatic compounds vary with cultivars. After entomophilous pollination, the corolla falls off and four round achenes develop inside the bilabiate calyx. 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. Its flowers are small and white, and grow from a central inflorescence, or spike, that emerges from the central stem atop the plant. Leaf sizes range from 3 to 11 cm (1 to 4 + 1⁄ 2 in) long, and between 1 and 6 cm ( 1⁄ 2 and 2 + 1⁄ 2 in) wide. Its leaves are richly green and ovate, but otherwise come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes depending on cultivar. Depending on the variety, plants can reach heights of between 30 and 150 cm (1 and 5 ft). Description īasil is an annual, or sometimes perennial, herb used for its leaves. The Latin name has been confused with basilisk, as it was supposed to be an antidote to the basilisk's venom. Basil is likewise sometimes referred to in French as "l'herbe royale" ('the royal herb'). The name "basil" comes from the Latin basilius, and the Greek βασιλικόν φυτόν ( basilikón phutón), meaning "royal/kingly plant", possibly because the plant was believed to have been used in production of royal perfumes.
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