Other names:
sweet basil, garden basil, ˈbeɪzəl, ˈbæzəl, तुलसी, Tulsi, Hindi: तुलसी,Tamil: துளசி, Urdu: تلسی
Description:
Basil can help relive mild nervous disorders and for alleviate rheumatic pains and can help nervous headaches.
Cultivation:
It is a tender low-growing herb that is grown as a perennial in warm, tropical climates. Basil is originally native to India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years.
It grows to between 30–60 cm tall, with opposite, light green, silky leaves 3–5 cm long and 1–3 cm broad. The flowers are quite big, 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 lay over the inferior. After entomophilous pollination, the corolla falls off and four round achenes develop inside the bilabiate calyx. The plant tastes somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, sweet smell. Basil is very sensitive to cold, with best growth in hot, dry conditions. While most common varieties are treated as annuals, some are perennial, including African Blue and Holy Thai basil.
Plant info:
Lamiaceae
Plant Longevity:
Annual
Max height:
300mm / 11.81
Tags: herbs, alternative medicine, Basil, Ocimum basilicum,
