Plants of the Punjab. 



175 



Herbs, Epeqt, with Opposite Exstipulate Simple Leaves, 



Leap Margins Entire, 



Petals united. 



Corolla two-lipped. 



Stamens four. 



Ocimum basilicum, 

 Sweet basil, 



Furrunj-mushk, tulsi, 

 hahuri, niyazbo, fanr. 

 Labiat^e. 

 F. B. I. iv. 608. 

 The Plains to 

 2,000 ft. 



Cultivated, but in- 

 digenous in the low 

 hills (Aitchison). 

 Baluchistan 

 CHughes-Buller). 



medium size, strongly scented, many oil glands, 

 smooth or velvety ; leaves 1^-2 in., ovate, sometimes 

 toothed, stalk very slender, usually slightly hairy ; flowers 

 \-\ in. long, in clustered circles, 6-10-flowered, in brac- 

 teate spikes and racemes, bracts stalked, ovate, minute, 

 soon falling off, calyx 5-toothed, upper tooth rounded, 

 shorter than the others, 2 lower teeth ovate-lanceolate 

 with a bristle point, 2 lateral shorter than the lower, 

 corolla \-\ in. long, white, pink or purphsh, 2-hpped, 

 tube short, upper lip nearly equally 4-lobed, lower lip 

 curved down, not lobed, stamens 4, protruding, twice as 

 long as the corolla, bent, hairy at the bend, stigma bifid ; 

 nutlets 4, ^ in. each, very black, oblong with rounded 

 ends, minutely dotted, convex on one side and flattened 

 on the other, when wetted become coated with mucil- 

 age. These seeds form one of the ingredients of Char- 

 tukm, a preparation well-known to Indian druggists. 

 They are used as a demulcent in genito-urinary diseases. 

 The dried leaves are used as a substitute for cloves, and 

 as a seasoning for culinary purposes. 



Ocimum sanctum, 

 Sacred basil, 



Kala tuJsi, ban tulsi. 



Labiate. 



F. B. I. iv. 609. 



The Plains to 



6,000 ft. 



Baluchistan 



(Boissier). 



medium size, perennial, cultivated, doubtfully in- 

 digenous, often woody below, much branched, bushy, 

 often with a purplish tinge, leaves 1-2| in., oblong, blunt 

 or sharp-pointed, sometimes almost toothed, base narrow- 

 ed, floral leaves sessile, ovate-lanceolate or heart-shaped, 

 flowers very small, white, pink or purplish on 

 small stalks in- very slender bracteate racemes, bracts 

 as in the last species, calyx short, 2 lower teeth with 

 very long bristle points, longer than the upper which is 

 broadly oblong, lateral broadly ovate, shorter than the 

 lower, corolla scarcely extending beyond the calyx, calyx 

 in fruit ^ in. long, on a slender stalk, widely bell-shaped, 

 thin, nutlets nearly round, nearly smooth, pale reddish- 

 brown ; other characters are like the last species. The 

 leaves and seeds are used for the same purposes as the 

 last species. It is worshipped by the Hindus and a plant 

 is to be found in every Hindu's garden. 



