CULINARY HERBS 6/ 



century it has been grown in America. Sacred 

 basil (O. sanctum), an oriental species, is cultivated 

 near temples in India and its odoriferous oil ex- 

 tracted for religious uses. Formerly the common 

 species was considered sacred by the Brahmins 

 who used it especially in honor of Vishnu and in 

 funeral rites. An African species, O. fruticosum, is 

 highly valued at the Cape of Good Hope for its 

 perfume. 



Description. — From the small, fibrous roots the 

 square stems stand erect about i foot tall. They 

 are very branching and leafy. The leaves are green, 

 except as noted below, ovate, pointed, opposite, 

 somewhat toothed, rather succulent and highly fra- 

 grant. The little white flowers which appear in mid- 

 summer are racemed in leafy whorls, followed by 

 small black fruits, popularly called seeds. These, like 

 flaxseed, emit a mucilaginous substance when soaked 

 in water. About 23,000 weigh an ounce, and 10 ounces 

 fill a pint. Their vitality lasts about eight years. 



Like most of the other culinary herbs, basil has 

 varied little in several centuries ; there are no well- 

 marked varieties of modern origin. Only three 

 varieties of common basil are listed in America; 

 Vilmorin lists only five French ones. Purple basil 

 has lilac flowers, and when grown in the sun also 

 purple leaf stems and young branches. Lettuce- 

 leaved basil has large, pale-green blistered and 

 wrinkled leaves like those of lettuce. Its closely set 

 clusters of flowers appear somewhat late. The 

 leaves are larger and fewer than in the common 

 variety. 



