Basil (plant)

Basil
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Ocimum
Species
O. basilicum O. campechianum O. canum O. gratissimum O. kilimandscharicum O. tenuiflorum Ref: ITIS 32626 2002-08-03

Basil (Ocimum basilicum) (also known as Albahaca, American Dittany, Our Herb, St. Joseph's Wort, Sweet Basil and Witches' Herb) is a tender Mediterranean annual herb. The most commonly used varieties are sweet basil and Thai basil. Other varieties include Purple Ruffles, Mammoth, Cinnamon, Lemon, Globe, and African Blue. The original variety from India, Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum = O. tenuiflorum), is camphoric and rarely used in the kitchen. Basil is very sensitive to cold.

Basil is a low-growing annual. It has light green silky leaves and tastes somewhat like cloves, with a strong, pungent, sweet smell.

The word basil (fr. Gk basileus, king) means "royal". The Oxford English Dictionary quotes speculation that basil may have been used in "some royal unguent, bath, or medicine".

Cultural aspects

The name basil may derive from the basilisk (also fr. Gk basileus), a legendary monster, because the plant was said to be a cure for its poison. Indeed, A Modern Herbal, by Mrs. M. Grieve, tells us: "The seeds have been reckoned efficacious against the poison of serpents..."

The plant has frequently been considered poisonous itself, while African legend claims it protects against scorpions. European lore sometimes claims that basil is a symbol of Satan, though in other places, like India, the plant is highly revered. Similarly, it is a symbol of love in present-day Italy, but represented hatred in ancient Greece.

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See also Basil of Caesarea.