Ocimum

African basil (Ocimum gratissimum )

The plant genus basil (Ocimum ) belongs to the mint family ( Lamiaceae). The approximately 60 species are distributed mainly in the temperate Africa and South America. Some species and their varieties are grown worldwide. Basil refers to both the genus Ocimum as well as the best-known species Ocimum basilicum, basil is used as a spice in Central Europe. At least seven of the basil types find a use in the kitchen, medicine and religion.

Description

When basil species is evergreen, herbaceous plants or shrubs with aromatic odor. Most all parts of the plant are hairy, only the leaf blade often it is not. Young stems are often square. The opposite, stalked leaves are simple. The leaf edges are smooth to toothed. Stipules absent.

In the aged men inflorescences many Scheinquirle are mostly arranged, each containing two to three, rarely ten flowers. The small entire, petiolate bracts are soon shed. The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic fünfzählig double perianth. The five sepals are fused into one -tube to bell-shaped calyx, which is glabrous or sometimes slightly hairy, and increases during fruit formation. He is often two-lipped, the upper lip tridentate, and the lower one is bidentate. The five petals are fused. The crown is two-lipped. The four stamens are fused with the crown, but with each other freely; the outer two are slightly longer than the inner two. The anthers are oval to kidney-shaped. Two carpels are fused into a superior ovaries, it is divided by a false septum into four chambers. The stylus is longer than the stamens and ends in a double lip scar. The oval to spherical nutlets become sticky when wet.

Ingredients

Most basil species contain in their leaves 0.3 to 1.5 percent oil. Species with a high oil content ( about three percent) are O. gratissimum and O. kilimandscharicum. Among the constituents of the essential oil obtained from the leaves of basil oil. In summary, the main components can be depending on the type, time of harvest and origin linalool, estragole or camphor. In the leaves A and Vitamin C are out of carbohydrates and protein contain vitamin, in addition oleanolic acid and ursolic acid.

From the seeds of different basil species is obtained by cold pressing oil having different amounts of linoleic acid, linolenic acid and oleic acid. The yield is about 20 percent.

Use

Several types of basil in finding an economic use by the people. In particular, the species Ocimum americanum, Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum × citriodorum, Ocimum gratissimum, Ocimum kilimandscharicum. Ocimum minimum Ocimum and tenuiflorum are grown partly for 3,000 years for the purpose of oil extraction (see basil oil), as a vegetable, herb or ornamental plant (O. americanum ). Indian basil is an important part of traditional Indian medicine Ayurveda and is now sold in Central Europe as a medicinal tea. However, it is also suitable for repelling insects.

The basil has in different areas of the world and religious character. India is an example. According to Hindu idea the Tulsi plant Indian basil is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The herb symbolizes him, his avatar Krishna and his wife Lakshmi.

Trivial names

The trivial name basil comes from the Greek and means basilikos royal, certainly because of the spicy, rich fragrance. Thai basil is not a well-defined species, but the name for a spice, which Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum × citriodorum and Ocimum may contain tenuiflorum.

System

The genus Ocimum was established by Carl Linnaeus. The botanical genus name Ocimum is derived from the Greek word for ozein smell. Synonyms for Ocimum L. are Becium Lindl., Hyperaspis Briq. , Nautochilus Bremek. , Erythrochlamys Gürke. The genus Ocimum belongs to the tribe Ocimeae in the subfamily Nepetoideae within the family of Lamiaceae.

There are about 60 species of Ocimum:

  • Ocimum albostellatum ( Verdc. ) AJPaton: The home is Tanzania to Zambia.
  • American basil (Ocimum americanum L., Syn: Ocimum canum Sims ): It is used in Paläotropis.
  • Ocimum amicorum AJPaton: The home is the western Tanzania.
  • Ocimum angustifolium Benth. It is spread from Kenya to South Africa.
  • Basil or sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.): It is common in tropical and subtropical Asia.
  • Ocimum burchellianum Benth. The home is only the South African province of the Eastern Cape.
  • Peruvian basil (Ocimum campechianum Mill, Syn: Ocimum micranthum million ): It is widespread in the Neotropics.
  • Ocimum canescens AJPaton: The home is Tanzania.
  • Ocimum carnosum ( Spreng. ) Link & Otto ex Benth. ( Syn: Ocimum selloi Benth. ): The range extends from Mexico across northern Venezuela and Brazil to Argentina.
  • Ocimum centraliafricanum REFr. The home ranges of Tanzania to Zimbabwe.
  • Ocimum circinatum AJPaton: The home is Ethiopia and Somalia.
  • Ocimum coddii ( SDWilliams & K.Balkwill ) AJPaton: The home is the South African province of Mpumalanga.
  • Ocimum cufodontii ( Lanza ) AJPaton: The home is in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya.
  • Ocimum dambicola AJPaton: The home is Tanzania to Zambia.
  • Ocimum decumbens Gürke: It is in Central, Eastern and Southern Africa spread.
  • Ocimum dhofarense ( Sebald ) AJPaton: The home is Oman.
  • Ocimum dolomitic cola AJPaton: The home is the South African province of Limpopo and Swaziland.
  • Ocimum ellenbeckii Gürke: The home is southern Ethiopia and Zaire.
  • Ocimum ericoides ( PADuvign. & Plancke ) AJPaton: The home is the southern Zaire.
  • Ocimum filamentosum Forssk. The range extends from Ethiopia to southern Africa and Sri Lanka.
  • Ocimum fimbriatum Briq. The range extends from the tropical southern Africa to Tanzania.
  • Ocimum fischeri Gürke: The home is Kenya and Tanzania.
  • Ocimum formosum Gürke :; The home is Ethiopia.
  • Ocimum forsskaolii Benth. ( Syn: Ocimum menthifolium Hochst ex Benth.. ): The range extends from Egypt to Kenya and Angola and the Arabian Peninsula.
  • Ocimum fruticosum ( Ryding ) AJPaton: The home is Somalia.
  • Ocimum grandiflorum Lam. , It is common in the eastern and northeastern Africa.
  • Tree basil or African basil (Ocimum gratissimum L. ): It is used in Paläotropis.
  • Ocimum hirsutissimum ( PADuvign. ) AJPaton: The home is the southern Zaire.
  • Ocimum irvinei JKMorton: The home ranges of the Ivory Coast to Cameroon.
  • Ocimum jamesii Sebald: History is Ethiopia and Somalia.
  • Ocimum kenyense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton: The home is Kenya and Tanzania.
  • Camphor basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum Gürke ): The distribution area is East Africa.
  • Ocimum labiatum ( NEBr. ) AJPaton: It is spread from Mozambique to South Africa.
  • Ocimum masaiense Ayob. ex A.J.Paton: The home is Kenya.
  • Ocimum mearnsii ( Ayob. ex Sebald ) AJPaton: It is widespread in tropical East Africa.
  • Ocimum Metallorum ( PADuvign. ) AJPaton: The home is the southern Zaire.
  • Greek basil or bush basil (Ocimum minimum L.): The home is southern India and Sri Lanka.
  • Ocimum minutiflorum ( Sebald ) AJPaton: It is spread from Uganda to northern Zambia.
  • Ocimum mitwabense ( Ayob. ) AJPaton: The home is the southern Zaire.
  • Ocimum monocotyloides ( Plancke ex Ayob. ) AJPaton: The home is the southern Zaire.
  • Ocimum motjaneanum McCallum & K.Balkwill: The home is only Swaziland.
  • Ocimum natalense Ayob. ex AJPaton: It is spread from Mozambique to KwaZulu -Natal.
  • Ocimum nudicaule Benth. It is spread from Brazil to northeastern Argentina.
  • Ocimum nummularia ( S.Moore ) AJPaton: The home is Somalia.
  • Ocimum obovatum E.Mey. ex Benth. ( Syn: Ocimum heckmannianum Gürke ): It is common in tropical and southern Africa and Madagascar.
  • . Ocimum ovatum Benth: ( Syn: .. Ocimum hassleri Briq; Ocimum neurophyllum Briq ): It is spread from Brazil to northeastern Argentina.
  • Ocimum pseudoserratum ( MRAshby ) AJPaton: The home is only the South African province of Limpopo.
  • Ocimum pyramidatum ( AJPaton ) AJPaton: The home is the western Tanzania.
  • Ocimum reclinatum ( SDWilliams & M.Balkwill ) AJPaton: There is widespread from southern Mozambique to KwaZulu -Natal.
  • Ocimum serpyllifolium Forssk. The home is the northern Somalia and the Arabian Peninsula.
  • Ocimum serratum ( Schltr. ) AJPaton: The home of the South African provinces of KwaZulu -Natal and Mpumalanga.
  • Ocimum somaliense Briq. The home is the eastern Ethiopia.
  • Ocimum spectabile ( Gürke ) AJPaton: The home is Ethiopia to Tanzania.
  • Ocimum spicatum Deflers: The distribution area is Ethiopia to northern Kenya and Yemen.
  • Indian basil or holy basil or tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum L., Syn: Ocimum sanctum L. ): It is widespread in tropical and subtropical Asia and Australia.
  • Ocimum transamazonicum C.Pereira: It is widely used in Brazil.
  • Ocimum tubiforme ( RDGood ) AJPaton: The home of the South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
  • Ocimum urundense Robyns & Lebrun: The home ranges of Burundi to the western Tanzania.
  • Ocimum vandenbrandei ( PADuvign. & Plancke ex Ayob. ) AJPaton: The home is the southern Zaire.
  • Ocimum vanderystii ( De Wild. ) AWHill: The home ranges of the Republic of Congo to the western Zambia.
  • Ocimum verticillifolium Baker: The home is Ethiopia and Somalia.
  • Ocimum viphyense AJPaton: The home is the northern Malawi and northern Zambia.
  • Ocimum waterbergense ( SDWilliams & K.Balkwill ) AJPaton: The home is the South African province of Limpopo.

And the hybrids (selection):

  • Ocimum × africanum Lour.
  • Lemon basil (Ocimum × citriodorum Vis. )
  • Ocimum kilimandscharicum × Ocimum basilicum, for example, with the cultivar ' African Blue '

Swell

  • Description in the Western Australian flora. ( Description section )
  • Xi -wen Li & Ian C. Hedge: Lamiaceae: .. Ocimum, pp. 296 - text the same online as printed work, In: Wu Zheng -yi, Peter H. Raven (eds.): Flora of China. Volume 17: Verbenaceae through Solanaceae, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing and St. Louis, 1994, ISBN 0-915279-24- X (sections description, distribution and systematics).
  • R. Hiltunen: Chemical Composition of Ocimum species. In: R. Hiltunen and Y. Holm (ed.): Basil: The Genus Ocimum. Taylor & Francis, 1999. ISBN 90-5702-432-2. P.67 ff
  • JH Wiersema and B. Leon: World Economic Plants. CRC Press 1999 ISBN. 0-8493-2119-0. S. 346
  • Sabine B. J. Eckelmann: Biodiversity of the genus Ocimum L., in particular the culture clans. Dissertation for the degree " Doctor of Agricultural Sciences " at the University of Kassel, Kassel 2002 Table of Contents of the online version.
  • Alan James Paton: A Synopsis of Ocimum L. ( Labiatae ) in Africa, In: Kew Bulletin, Volume 47, Issue 3, 1992, pp. 403-435. JSTOR 4110571
  • Roberto F. Vieira: Genetic Diversity of Basil (Ocimum spp.) Based on RAPD Markers. In: Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, Volume 128, Issue 1, 2003, S: 94-99. Full-Text PDF.
  • Raimo Hiltunen, Yvonne Holm: Basil: The Genus Ocimum - Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Industrial Profiles. CRC Press, 2003, ISBN 978-020330377-1 ( limited preview on Google Book Search ).
Asterids Ovary (botany) Vitamin A KwaZulu-Natal
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