BASIL. 155 



pretty long, rigidly erect, with the verticels of 6 flowers. Bractes 

 short-petioled, reflexed, cordate-lanceolate. Calyx, npper lip 

 marked with 3 nerves. Corolla short, scarcely larger than the 

 calyx, of a pale yellow underneath, oblong, concave and entire. 

 Filaments longer than the corolla, with a large tuft of dark yellow 

 hairs on the joints of the large pair near the base. Cy some this 

 plant has been considered identical with the Ocimum Zeylanimm of 

 Burmann, Thesaurus Zeylanicus, p. 174, t. 80, f. i., and with Ocimum 

 ^etiolare, Lam. Die, i., p. 385. 



Ocimu m sanctu m Linn. Burm. Thes. Zeyl., 174, t. 80, ff. 1 and 



2; Basilimm agreste Eumph. Herb. Amb., v., p. 265, t. 92, f. 2. This 

 plant is found throughout India in dry places and is commonly 

 known as Tulsi and Tulasi. In English it is known as Holy Basil. 

 It is botanically described as a short-stemmed woody perennial ; 

 branches numerous, opposite, round, usually dark purple, hairy ; 

 leaves opposite, petioled, oval, serrate, downy, about 1| inches 

 long and 1 inch broad; racemes terminal, erect, usually dark 

 purple, hairy, 4-sided ; bractes opposite, petioled, cordate, reflex, 

 3-flowered ; seeds black, oblong, about yV o^ an inch long, slightly 

 arched on one side and flattened on the other, blunt-pointed. The 

 seeds are used medicinally. The Tulasi plant is venerated in India 

 by the Hindus like the Vervain was amongst the Komans. Its 

 worship is expounded in Tulasikavagcun, a little book composed of 

 two parts : the first being the TulasikavaQam proper, or " Tulasi 

 amulet," and the second a hymn in honour of the plant. 

 Interesting particulars respecting the worship of the Tulasi plant 

 and its medicinal virtues are given in the Pharmacographia Indica, 

 iii. p. 87. Sanskrit writers make two varieties of this plant, 

 founded upon some difference in the colour of their leaves, viz., 

 white and black, but the plant, irrespective of colour, is called in 

 Sanskrit Tulasi and Parnasa. 



Ocimum villosum Eoxb. (Syn. 0. Basilicum var. anisatum, 

 Benth.). The Hindustanee and Bengalee name Tulasi is also applied 

 to this plant, but it differs in many respects to the true Tulasi. Its 

 Sanskrit name is Urjuka.* It is the Soladitirtava of Eheedef and 

 the Basilic2wi citratum of Kumphius:|: describes it as follows: — 



* Asiatic Researches, iv., pp. 288-9. 



t Hort. Mai., x., p. 173, t. 87. 



::: Amb., v., p. 266, t. 93, f. 1. Roxburgh (Flor. IncL, iii.). 



