1014 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



deposits a residue which soon crystallises by simple cooling without the 

 necessity of sowing it with a crystal. This residue was therefore almost 

 entirely composed of thymol. After recrystallisation, the crystals had still 

 a slight reddish coloration, but the manner of their preparation, their melting 

 point (49.3°-50.5°C.) and their odour are sufficient for their identification. 



We do not think that the essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum L. has pre- 

 viously been studied, but thymol, which, moreover, has hitherto scarcely been 

 observed except in the Labiatae, has nevertheless already been recorded (see 

 E. Gildemeister, Les Huiles essentielles' 2nd French Edition, p. 502) in the 

 essential oil of another Ocimum, O. viride.— (Scien. and Indus. Bull, of Rowre- 

 Bertrand fils of Grasse for Oct. 1913 p. 21.) 



971. 0. sanctum, Linn., h.f.b.i., iv. 609 ; Roxb. 

 463. 



Sans.: — Purnsa, ajaka, tulasi, manjarika, Bharati, bhulaka, 

 Divya, Krishna mula. 



Vern. :— Kala-tulsi, tulsi baranda, varanda (Hind.); Kalatulsi 

 tulshi (Beng.); Bantulsi, tulsi (Pb.) ; Tulasi (Bomb.); Tulasa 

 (Mar.) ; Talasi (Guj.); Tulsi (Dec); Tulasi, alangai, pirundam. 

 (Tam.) ; Tulasi, krushna-tulasi, gaggera-cbettu (Tel.) ; Tulashi- 

 gida (Kan.); Niella tirtua, krishna tulsi, nallu tirtta (Malay,); 

 Lun (Burm.) ; Mudurutulla (Sing.). 



Habitat :— Throughout tropical and hotter India. 



A strongly-scented, perennial, herbaceons, erect plant, l-2ft. 

 high, softly patently hairy. Stem sometimes woody below. 

 Branches erect, ascending or spreading. Leaves oblong obtuse 

 or acute, l-2Jin. long, variable in breadth, base narrowed ; 

 margin entire or subserrate, hairy on both surfaces and minutely 

 dotted, petioles J-lin. long. Floral leaves sessile, ovate- 

 lanceolate. Racemes very slender 6-8in. long ; pedicels slender 

 as long as the Calyx. Calyx short, two lower teeth very long- 

 awned, longer than the broadly oblong upper, lateral broadly 

 ovate, shorter than the lower. Corolla very small, scarcely longer 

 than the Calyx. Filaments exserted, knee villous. Fruiting 

 Calyx ^in. long on a slender pedicel, broadly campanulate, 

 membranous. Nutlets subglobose or broadly oblong, slightly 

 compressed, nearly smooth, pale-red, brown. 



Uses : — The leaves have expectorant properties, and their 

 juice is used by native physicians in catarrh and bronchitis. 

 This preparation also is applied to the skin in ring-worm and 



