154 ODOROGEAPHIA. 



Ocimum bu I latum, Lam., Ency., i., p. 384, is not considered 

 by Eoxburgh to be a native of India, as it is found in gardens only 

 and the natives have no vernacular name for it. He states that 

 its scent is very powerful, more so than that of any other species 

 he has met with. 



Ocimum minimum or "Least Basil" is a very aromatic 

 plant, a diminutive form of 0. hasilicicm and closely allied to 

 0. Forskelii.* It is an erect plant with herbaceous stem, forming 

 a round bushy head, all parts finely pubescent ; leaves, which are 

 hardly larger than those of Thymus serpyllum, are on long petioles, 

 ovate, almost quite entire, glabrous ; floral leaves almost like the 

 others ; raceme simple, short ; whorls loose ; calices rather shorter 

 than the pedicles, reflexed in the fructiferous state, upper tooth 

 orbicular; lower ones short, acute. It is a native of Chili, near 

 Valparaiso.f Syn. 0. salinum Molina. J This plant is only from 

 6 to 12 inches in height. 



Ocimum gratissimumLin. Jacq.Ic.Pl.Ear.,iii.,t.495;Eheede 

 (under name of Cattu Tirtava), Hort. Mai, x., t. 86. A native 

 of Bengal, Chittagong, E. Nepal and the Deccan Peninsular. 



This plant is the Varvara, Barbara and i\jvallaof theMghantas. 

 The vernacular name in Hindustauee and Bengalee is Eam-tulasi.§ 

 The leaves have a remarkably grateful lemon odour and taste. 

 The seeds imported into Bombay from Persia under the same 

 names (and used medicinally) bear no resemblance to those of 0. 

 gratusimum. Eoxburgh says 1 : The wdiole plant diffuses a stronger 

 degree of fragrance than any other of the genus. It is only found 

 in gardens and about the Temples of the natives. Stem erect, 

 woody, perennial. Bark, ash-coloured. Branches opposite, erect, 

 4-sided, when young, smooth glossy and green ; height of 

 the plant from 4 feet to 8 feet. Leaves opposite long- 

 petioled, drooping, oblong, ventricose, remotely serrate, smooth 

 on both sides, often 6 inches long including the petiole, 

 which is about a third of the whole. Eacemes terminal, 



* Benth. Lab., p. 6. 



t Schkuhr, Botanisches handbiich, ii., t. 166. 



X Saggio sulla storia naturale del Chili, p. 291. 



§ Pharmacographia Indica, iii., p. 85. 



II Flora Indica, iii., p. 17- 



