58 FLORA DOMESTIC A. 



BASIL. 



OCYMUM. 



LABIATE. DIDYNAMIA GYMNOSPERMIA. 



Basil is from a Greek word, signifying royal. It is generally called 

 sweet basil. French, basilic; la plante royale Italian, basilico; 

 ozzimo. Ocymum is from a Greek word signifying swift, because the 

 seed when sown comes up very quickly. 



BASILS are either herbs, or undershrubs, generally of a 

 sweet and powerful scent : they are chiefly natives of the 

 East Indies, and in this climate require protection from 

 frost. They are raised in a hot-bed, but should have as 

 much air as possible in mild weather. They may stand 

 abroad from May to the end of September, or of October, 

 according as the weather is more or less mild at this season. 

 They should be kept moderately moist. 



Many of the Basils will not live in this country, unless 

 in a hot-house, but there are many that will, and among 

 those are some of the handsomest and sweetest kinds ; as 

 the American Basil, with a flesh-coloured flower, remark- 

 able for its agreeable scent ; the Monk's Basil, a small annual 

 plant, with a white and purple flower, a mysterious fo- 

 reigner, whose country is unknown to us ; and Sweet Basil, 

 which has spikes of white flowers, five or six inches in 

 length, and a strong scent of cloves : of this species there 

 is a variety smelling of citron, and another of which the 

 flowers are purple. 



In the East this plant is used both in cookery and me- 

 dicine, and the seeds are considered efficacious against the 

 poison of serpents. 



The Basil, called by the Hindoos holy or sacred herb, 

 is so highly venerated by them, that they have given one 

 of its names to a sacred grove of their Parnassus, on the 

 banks of the Yamuna. 



