08 – Ocimum gratissimum

It is a herbaceous shrub that can reach 130 cm in height. It has decussate leaves, a leaf placement in which opposite leaves at a node are arranged one in front of the other, and the next pair at a 90º angle creating a visual cross from the top. They are very fragrant with slightly serrated edges. The inflorescences can be white, pink or violet and are grouped in multiple whorls of six flowers each. Its fruit is a nucula, a kind of indehiscent dry fruit (that doesn’t open by itself). It’s very small, round and brown, with the seed inside. Each flower produces four nuculae. Flowering time is from June to September.

Traditionally, it has been used to aid the wound healing process, as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Nowadays, it is used in traditional medicine practices such as Ayurveda or traditional Chinese medicine.

Its name, basilicum, comes from the ancient Greek basilikon, meaning ‘royal’ or ‘king’, as it was believed that only the king with his golden sickle could harvest it. It spread throughout the Mediterranean, becoming one of the most emblematic aromatic herbs in cuisine and culture, like the Italian pesto sauce.