Herbarium JCB

Ocimum americanum L.

Family : LAMIACEAE
(MINT FAMILY)
Family (as per The Plant List) : Lamiaceae
Species : Ocimum americanum
Synonym : Ocimum canum Sims
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Ocimum americanum L.
Common name : Lemon Basil, Hoary Basil
Vernacular name : Kala tulsi, Vantulsi (Hin.); NaayiTulasi (Kan.); Naithulasi (Tam.); Kukkathulasi, Bhutulasi (Tel.); Gonga Tulsi, Goda Tulsi, Ban Tulsi, Kanak Tulsi (Ori.); Vanabarbrika (San.)
Collection Nos : HJCB-E-306
Collector(s) Name : K.R.K.Swamy
Collection Date : 02/01/16
Collection Locality : Batrepalli, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh State
Habitat : Open deciduous forest
Key identification features : An erect, much branched strongly aromatic undershrub. Leaves are elliptic-oblong, ovate-lanceolate, glabrous or nearly so, margin entire or shallowly serrate, lateral nerves of 4-5 pairs, impressed beneath. Thyrsus of about 15-20 cm long. Thyrses to about 15 cm long and branched. Flowers white with pedicels. Calyx is pubescent 1 4 arrangement. Upper lip is suborbicular, reticulately veined, ciliate. Central tooth of the lower lip longer than the lateral. Corolla is white and hairy without. Fruit is a nutlet, ellipsoid, balck. Calyx not enlarged in fruit.
Habit : Herb
Flower, Fruit : September-February
Comments : Often in plains to 1200 m. Gregarious in wastelands, arable fields etc.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Throughout Eastern Ghats
World Distribution : Paleotropics
Literature : Pullaiah et al., 2011 - Flora of Eastern Ghats Vol. 4 ; H.O. Saxena & M. Brahmam, 1995- Flora of Orissa Vol. 3; R. S. Rao and S. H. Sreeramulu, 1986 - Flora of Srikakulam District ; H. O. Saxena and M. Brahmam, 1989 - The Flora of Similipal, Orissa; IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. ; N.P.Singh, 1988. Flora of Eastern Karnataka; Matthew, K.M., The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic, Vol.3 (1). Diocesan Press, Madras. 1983.
Citation : Sankara Rao, K., Arun Singh R., Deepak Kumar, Raja K Swamy and Navendu Page (2016). Digital Flora of Eastern Ghats. http://easternghats.ces.iisc.ernet.in/plants.php?name=Ocimum americanum. Downloaded on 4 April 2025.