Ocimum americanum Arjaka Vantulsi Hoary basil Kali tulsi Bantulsi

Plant Profile

Botany

Binomial nomenclature

Ocimum americanum

Scientific Name and Description

Ocimum americanum L.

Herb Family

Lamiaceae

Plant type

Herb

Plant Synonyms

Ocimum canum SIMS.
Ocimum album Roxb.
Ocimum brachiatum Blume
Ocimum canum Sims
Ocimum dichotomum Hochst. ex Benth.
Ocimum dinteri Briq.
Ocimum fluminense Vell.
Ocimum fruticulosum Burch.
Ocimum hispidulum Schumach. & Thonn.
Ocimum incanescens Mart.
Ocimum stamineum Sims
Ocimum thymoides Baker

Plant Names - Common - Regional - Vernacular

English	Hoary basil, lemon basil
Hindi	ban-tulsi, bapchi, bapji, jangli tulsi, kala tulsi, kali-tulsi, mamri, nakad bapchi, nakad-bapchi, rantulsi, tusli, vantulsi
Kannada	hola thulasi, naayi thulasi, naayi tulasi, naithulasi, nauitulasi, nayitulasi, raama thulasi, ramatulasi
Malayalam	katturamattulasi, katturamatulasi, kattuthulasi, kattutrttavu, kattutulasi
Marathi	raana thulasi, ran-tulas
Sanskrit	ajaka, aranyatulasi, arjaka, gambhira, gandhapanirjjaka, gramya, jambira, kathinjara, kshudraparna, kshudratulasi, kuthera, mukharjaka, svetasurasa, svetatulasi, thiksnamanu, ugragandha, vanabarbarika
Tamil	acalcatimuli, acokatitacceti, campirattitcanakentam, caracacumukam, cenkolikacceti, cenkolikam, centivannan, centivannanceti, cirukancankorai, civanmalai, civatulaci, cukantacuracaracam, cumukam, ganjamkorai, gunjamkorai, intimalakacceti, intimalakam, kalikanca, kancam, kanjagkorai, kanjankorai, karaiviliyal, katirnecamaruvam, kattulay, kattulaycceti, kattuttulaci, katuvay, katuvaycceti, kirunti, kukka-tulasi, kulavel, kulaverkorai, kurai, kurutanacani, malatitam, mancari, mancari, mayilainati, mayilainatittulaci, mukkatpiran, mukkatpiranceti, naaithulasi, nai tulasi, nai-thulasi, naithulasi, naitulasi, nayitulasi, nayttulaci, nilakatakam, nirancanatimuli, niraninton, niranintonceti, niya, niyacceti, pakalicceti, pakli, palinkiam, panicca, paniccaka, paniccakkorai, parakam. permalli, peyttulaci, putpakam , talaicculalmuli, tanamutirkorai, tanamutirkorai, tanamuttumatar, ticanam, tiralakkorai, tiralkorai, tiratkorai, titcanam, tittanam, tuyappirantaputpakam, vakuntakam, vakuntikai, vakuntikaikkorai, vakuntikam, vikkanaramali, vitpanattinpu, yaranimulli
Telugu	kaukkatulasi, kukka tulassi, kukkathulasi, kukkatulasi, kupatulasi, kuppatulasi, thulasi
Rajasthan Region	Bapji, Rantulsi
Common names	American basil, lime basil,hoary basil,

Plants Medicinal Value

Medicinal Systems

Ayurved

Siddha

Homoeopathy

Folk

Herb usable parts

Leaves

Flowers

Seeds

Whole plant

Ethanomedical Uses

Ethnopharmacology use

Plant is considered stomachic, anthelmintic and antipyretic.
In Unani medicine it is considered diuretic and emmenagogue and is used to treat diseases of the heart and brain.
Plant juice is useful for treating toothache, earache and headache.
Decoction of plant is taken internally to provide relief in cough and fever.
Leaves widely used for flavouring soups and sauces and are considered diuretic and tonic.
Leaf paste is used externally for treating skin diseases.
Seeds are useful in malaria fever and also used in the preparation of cooling drink.

Source: Medicinal Plants in the Indian Arid Zone, March 2005, Director Central Arid Zone Research Institute Jodhpur 342 003

Ocimum americanum L. Herb Whole plant Malaria; fever; digestive; cardio tonic; cold; cough; fever; pain; ear infections; skin eruptions; boils; fumigation; bronchitis; increases sexual potency; insecticidal; wormicidal; dandruff; gastrointestinal problems General Ayyanar and Ignacimuthu 2005, Bosco and Arumugam 2012