basil

Also known as Ocimum basilicum

Basil (Ocimum basilicum), also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also known as Genovese basil or sweet basil. Basil is native to tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia. In temperate climates basil is treated as an annual plant, but it can be grown as a short-lived perennial or biennial in warmer horticultural zones with tropical or Mediterranean climates.

OverviewAI-generated

Ocimum basilicum is a species in the family Lamiaceae. The taxon was authored by L. It is categorized under the name basil in various databases.

Nutritional data for basil indicates an energy content of 350 kcal per serving. It contains 4.1 g of fat, including 2.2 g of saturated fat. The carbohydrate content is 48 g, with 2 g of sugars and 27.7 g of fiber. Protein levels are 17.3 g, and salt content is 0.53 g. The product holds a NutriScore of a and a NOVA classification of 1.

Scientific literature includes 4,625 PubMed entries for basil. The subject is referenced by 1,550 other encyclopedia articles. External data is available through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Synthesized by Vinony from 24 facts across 5 sources: Wikidata, PubMed, Plants of the World, Openfoodfacts, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

FamilyLamiaceae

Native toAndaman Is., Assam, Bangladesh, Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Jawa, Laos

Dieser Artikel behandelt die Art Basilikum, zur gleichnamigen Gattung siehe Basilikum (Gattung). Das Basilikum (Ocimum basilicum), auch Basilie, Basilienkraut oder Königskraut genannt, ist eine Gewürzpflanze aus der gleichnamigen Gattung Basilikum (Ocimum) in der Familie der Lippenblütler. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Beschreibung 1.1 Vegetative Merkmale 1.2 Generative Merkmale 2 Inhaltsstoffe 3 Verbreitung 4 Systematik 5 Herkunft 6 Kultivierung 6.1 Anbau und Ernte 6.2 Krankheiten und Schädlinge 7 Verwendung 7.1 Küche 7.2 Medizinische Bedeutung 8 Siehe auch 9 Quellen 10 Einzelnachweise 11 Weblinks Beschreibung Vegetative Merkmale Die verschiedenen Kulturformen unterscheiden sich in Blattfarbe, Größe, Aroma, Wachstumsart und Ansprüchen. Basilikum wird in den gemäßigten Breiten meist als einjährige Pflanze kultiviert. Es ist eine aufrecht wachsende, einjährige bis ausdauernde krautige Pflanze, die Wuchshöhen von 20 bis 60 Zentimetern erreicht. Alle Pflanzenteile duften aromatisch. Stängel, Blütenhüllblätter und oft die Laubblätter sind behaart (Indument). Die kreuzgegenständigen Laubblätter sind in Blattstiel und Blattspreite gegliedert. Die kurzen Blattstiele weisen eine Länge von 5 bis 20

via · Kew POWO

Nutrition · Open Food Facts

Typical values per 100 g · averaged across 3 products

aNutri-Score

1NOVA · Unprocessed / minimally processed

Energy: 350 kcal
Fat: 4.1 g
— of which saturates: 2.2 g
Carbohydrates: 48 g
— of which sugars: 2 g
Fibre: 27.7 g
Protein: 17.3 g
Salt: 0.53 g

Browse on Open Food Facts →

via Open Food Facts · ODbL

Research

4,625 papers

Antimicrobial Activity of Basil, Oregano, and Thyme Essential Oils.ReviewJournal of microbiology and biotechnology · 2017Sakkas H, Papadopoulou CDOI: 10.4014/jmb.1608.08024
BEST-CLI versus BASIL-2 Trial: Conflicting Results?Portuguese journal of cardiac thoracic and vascular surgery · 2023Cruz Silva JDOI: 10.48729/pjctvs.376
Basil Downy Mildew (Peronospora belbahrii): Discoveries and Challenges Relative to Its Control.ReviewPhytopathology · 2015Wyenandt CA, Simon JE, Pyne RM et al.DOI: 10.1094/PHYTO-02-15-0032-FI
Beyond Wires and Knives: What Can We Learn From BEST-CLI and BASIL-2?European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery : the official journal of the European Society for Vascular Surgery · 2023Lyons OT, Behrendt CA, Björck MDOI: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2023.05.032
Basil (Ocymium basilicam).The Journal of the Indiana State Medical Association · 1960WILSON M
BASIL HUGHES.British medical journal · 1953
Basil chilling injury: Oxidative stress or energy depletion?Food chemistry · 2025Larsen DH, Liu Y, Yao M et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.143581
Eugenol and basil essential oil as priming agents for enhancing Arabidopsis immune response.Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry · 2024Hirose S, Horiyama S, Morikami A et al.DOI: 10.1093/bbb/zbae156

via PubMed

~14 min read

Encyclopedic overview

30 sections

Contents

Description
Phytochemistry
Similar species
Taxonomy
Cultivars
Hybrids
Etymology
Distribution and habitat
Cultivation
Growing conditions
Pruning, flowering, and seeding
Propagation methods
Seeds
Cuttings
Diseases
Uses
Culinary
Leaves and flowers
Seeds
Folk medicine
Insecticide and insect repellent
Nematicide
Bacterial and fungal inhibition
In culture
Religion
Art and literature
See also
Notes
References
External links

There are many varieties of basil including sweet basil, Thai basil (O.basilicum var. thyrsiflora), and Mrs. Burns' Lemon (O.basilicum var. citriodora). O.basilicum can cross-pollinate with other species of the Ocimum genus, producing hybrids such as lemon basil (O. × africanum) and African blue basil (O. × kilimandscharicum).

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “basil” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.