Tulsi
Ocimum sanctum
Also known as Holy Basil, Sacred Basil, Basil
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Ocimum sanctum
- Genus
- Ocimum
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Habitat
- Scrub forests, deciduous forests and wastelands
- Distribution
- Paleotropics
- Found in India
- Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- SimplerecordedA single, undivided leaf blade.“they are simple, petioled, with an ovate blade up to 5 cm (2 in) long, which usually has a slightly toothed margin;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“they are simple, petioled, with an ovate blade up to 5 cm (2 in) long, which usually has a slightly toothed margin;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf margin
- ToothedrecordedA saw-like or jagged edge (serrate or dentate).“they are simple, petioled, with an ovate blade up to 5 cm (2 in) long, which usually has a slightly toothed margin;” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Tulsi itself; the rest are typical of the Lamiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet
- Flower arrangement
- RacemerecordedIndividual stalked flowers arranged along a central stem, opening from bottom to top.“The purplish flowers are placed in close whorls on elongated racemes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Nutlets
Characters marked “recorded” are for Tulsi itself; the rest are typical of the Lamiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Tulsi तुलसी
- Malayalam
- Trittavu
- Marathi
- Tulshi
- Manipuri
- ꯇꯨꯜꯁꯤ Tulsi
- Angami
- Nhietso, Nietso
- Kannada
- ತುಳಸಿ Tulasi, ತೊಳಸಿ Tolasi
About Tulsi
Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) belongs to the Lamiaceae family, where it grows as a low shrub. In India it has been recorded in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and 1 other states. It grows in scrub forests, deciduous forests and wastelands. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.
Uses
It is long used in traditional medicine and distilled for an aromatic oil. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice.
In culture
It is treated as sacred and appears in worship.
Lamiaceae
Mint/Sage family
Tulsi belongs to the Lamiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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