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Ocimum basilicum

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Ocimum

common basil, italian basil, kihohono (Ni‘ihau via St. John), sweet basil

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual or short-lived perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems 5–10 dm long, many-branched, sparsely to densely villous, especially when young.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades ovate to elliptic–ovate, 3–6 (–11) cm long, 1.3–3(–5) cm wide. Apex acute. Base cuneate. Upper surfaces puberulent; lower surfaces strigose on veins. Surfaces copiously dotted with sessile oil glands. Margins subentire to remotely crenulate. Petioles 1–2 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers 6–10 usually small, in verticillasters, these arranged in racemose, unbranched or branched inflorescences, pedicels recurved, bracts minute, caducous. Calyx actinomorphic, bilabiate, 2–5 mm long, ovoid or campanulate, deflexed & enlarging up to 9 mm long in fruit, tube ca. 3 mm long, dotted with oil glands, sparsely short–hirsute, sometimes also very sparsely long–hirsute, densely hirsute within at base, 10-nerved, lower teeth as long as or slightly longer than upper tooth, the teeth narrow and pungent, mouth of fruiting calyx open. Corolla bilabiate, campanulate, white, sometimes tinged pink, 7-10 mm long, glabrous within, upper lip erect, subequally 4-lobed, lower lip slightly longer, curved downward, flattened or concave, entire; nectary disk entire or 2–4-lobed, symmetrical. Stamens 4, in 2 pairs, exserted beyond corolla tube; anther sacs confluent; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate; ovules 1 per ovary lobe, placentation basal-axile; style 2-lobed; stigmas 2.

Fruit: Nutlets ellipsoid; 1.5–3.5 mm long; pitted; mucilaginous when wet. Seeds with endosperm absent or scanty and oily.

Ploidy: 2n = 16; 48

Habitat: Naturalized in low elevation; dry disturbed habitats.

Elevation Range: 15–400 m.

Historical Distribution

Accepted Subtaxa (in Hawai'i) (1)

Ocimum basilicum var. basilicum

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Naturalized
Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Only found in cultivation
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 597 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:808 (Ni, O, Mo, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:359 (KEY, DESCR); Oppenheimer 2010:36 (L); Frohlich & Lau 2012:40 (K); Uehara s.n. BISH 53285 (Mo†, 1961); Herbst 856 BISH (M†, 1968)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
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