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Timelapse of growing basil Desiccated basil showing seed dispersal. Basil is an annual, or sometimes perennial, herb.Depending on the variety, plants can reach heights of between 30 and 150 centimetres (1 and 5 feet). [6]
The leaves of wild basil are used as an aromatic herb in the preparation of food dishes and to make a herbal tea. They can also be used in the preparation of both a brown and a yellow dye. [4] This plant has traditionally been used as an astringent, a cardiac stimulant, an expectorant, to reduce flatulence and to increase perspiration. [4]
Extracts of the plant are used to ease the symptoms of malaria. The boiled juice or a tea made from the leaves or the whole plant is taken to relieve fever and other symptoms. It is also used for dysentery, pain, and liver disorders. [143] A tea of the leaves is taken to help control diabetes in Peru and other areas. [144]
The Greek basil and various other basils have such different scents because the herb has a number of different essential oils in different proportions for various cultivars. [4] The essential oil from European basil contains high concentrations of linalool and methyl chavicol (estragole), in a ratio of about 3:1.
Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora) is a common ingredient in Thai cuisine, with a strong flavour similar to aniseed, used to flavour Thai curries and stir-fries. [citation needed] Lemon basil (Ocimum × citriodorum) is a hybrid between O. americanum and O. basilicum. It is noted for its lemon flavour and used in cooking. [citation needed]
For example, decomposing plants may make water taste earthier, notes Riese. More sodium makes it salty. ... Insufficient water intake can also cause headaches, constipation and kidney stones.
Ocimum americanum, known as American basil, lime basil, [2] or hoary basil, [3] is a species of annual herb in the family Lamiaceae. Despite the misleading name, it is native to Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, China, and Southeast Asia. The species is naturalized in Queensland, Christmas Island, and parts of tropical America.
Basil cultivars vary in several ways. Visually, the size and shape of the leaves varies greatly, from the large lettuce-like leaves of the Mammoth basil and Lettuce leaf basil to the tiny leaves of the Dwarf bush basil. More practically, the fragrance of the basil varies due to the varying types and quantities of essential oils contained in the ...