Ocimum tenuiflorum
Tulas
Description
Ocimum tenuiflorum, also known as Ocimum sanctum, Holy basil, or tulasi, is an aromatic plant in the family Lamiaceae which is native to the Indian Subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. It is an erect, much branched subshrub, 30–60 cm tall with hairy stems and simple opposite green or purple leaves that are strongly scented. Leaves have petioles and are ovate, up to 5 cm long, usually slightly toothed.
The flowers are purplish in elongate racemes in close whorls. The two main morphotypes cultivated in India and Nepal are green-leaved (Sri or Lakshmi tulasi) and purple-leaved (Krishna tulasi). (See Tulsi in Hinduism.) Tulasi is cultivated for religious and medicinal purposes, and for its essential oil. It is widely known across the Indian Subcontinent as a medicinal plant and an herbal tea, commonly used in Ayurveda, and has an important role within the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves.
The variety of Ocimum tenuiflorum used in Thai cuisine is referred to as Thai holy basil (Thai language: kaphrao); it is not to be confused with Thai basil, which is a variety of Ocimum basilicum.
Genetics
DNA barcode of various biogeographical isolates of Tulsi from the Indian Subcontinent are now available. In a large-scale phylogeographical study of this species conducted using Chloroplast genome sequences, a group of researchers from Central University of Punjab, Bathinda have found that this plant had been originated in North-Central India. The finding is especially interesting , as this region have played important roles in religious and cultural uprising of India and the present discovery might suggest evolution of Tulsi had been in relation with cultural migratory patterns in Indian Subcontinent.
Uses
