Ocimum tenuiflorum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Lamiaceae |
Genus: | Ocimum |
Species: | O. tenuiflorum
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Binomial name | |
Ocimum tenuiflorum | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Ocimum tenuiflorum, commonly known as holy basil, tulsi or tulasi, is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae.[2][3] It is widely cultivated throughout the Southeast Asian tropics.[4][5][6] It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Australia, Malesia, Asia, and the western Pacific.[7] This plant has escaped from cultivation and has naturalized in many tropical regions of the Americas.[3][8] It is an agricultural and environmental weed.[3]
Tulasi is cultivated for religious and traditional medicine purposes, and also for its essential oil. It is widely used as an herbal tea, commonly used in Ayurveda, and has a place within the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves.