Holy Basil:Ocimum tenuiflorum (syn. O. sanctum)

摘要

Holy basil is a perennial or annual in the mint family that exhibits the square stem and volatile oils characteristic of its family.1 It is erect, very branched, strongly aromatic, and mildly hairy.2 Holy basil is native to India and parts of northernand eastern Africa, Hainan Island, and Taiwan, and grows wild throughout India and up to an altitude of 5,900 feet (1,800 meters) in the Himalayas. In China, it occurs in dry, sandy areas of Hainan and Sichuan, as well as in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myan-mar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Holy basil is cultivated in Southeast Asia and also grows abundantlyin Australia, west Africa, and some Arab countries.1'3 In India, the dried leaf, dried seed, and dried whole plant are used separately in the traditional medicine systems of Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani, as well as in Indian folk medicine. The materials of commerce are obtained mainly from cultivated sources throughout India.z