Basil belogs to the family Lamiacaea, genus Ocimum and species O. Basilicum. The species is also knowen as Ocimum tenuiflorum. English names are sacred basi, holy basil. In Assamese : Tulasii, Hindi : Bawari, bawari,Ban thulasi, Tulsi, Bengali: Babui tulsi, Gujarati : Sabje, Kannada : Amli, Huli, Malayalam: Pachcha/sivatulasi, Marathi: Sabja/Tulasa, Oriya : durlabha, Punjabi : Imli, Tulasigidda, Tulasi, Sanskrit : Barbari, Bana thulasi,Tungi , Tamil :Tulasi,Tirunirrippachai , Telugu : Tulsi-chettu, Urdu : Imli. Basil, one of the most popular herbs grown in the world, is native to Asia (India, Pakistan, Iran, Thailand, and other countries) and can be observed growing wild in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Because of the popularity of basil, the plant is often referred to as the “king of the herbs.” Several name derivations and beliefs are associated with basil, but the common name basil is probably derived from the Greek words basileus meaning “king” or basilikon meaning “royal.” A Latin word, basiliscus, refers to “basilisk” a mythical fire-breathing dragon so repul- sive that a glance could kill. According to a Roman legend, basil was the antidote to the venom of the basilisk. The botanical name Ocimum is derived from the Greek meaning “to be fragrant.” In the 1600s, the Eng lish used basil as a food flavoring and insecticide. The plant was hung in doorways to ward-off flies and other unwanted pests (evil spirits). Basil is obtained from the foliage of Ocimum basilicum L. (sweet basil), an annual herbaceous plant up to 100 cm in height. It is native to tropical Asia, Africa and America and widely cultivated in pots and gardens in Europe, South-west Asia and the USA. The leaves are ovate and vary in size, depending on the cultivated variety, from the small leaves of the common basil to the large leaves of lettuce leaf basil. The verticillasters of the white or pink flowers are arranged in terminal racemes. Different cultivated forms, considered distinct by herbalists (e.g., O. minutum L.), are not recognized taxonomically. The dried sweet basil leaves have a sweet, fragrant odor, and their taste is aromatic, warm, and slightly pungent. Basil is considered as the finest of all aromatic herbs and is widely used to flavor cooked vegetables, tomato-paste products, and fish. It is sometimes used with, or as a substitute of, oregano to flavor pizza and spaghetti sauce and is employed together with other spices in the manufacture of vinegar, mustard, and sausages. Though not used in large quantities, sweet basil oil is used quite extensively in the flavoring of several food products, including those for confectionery, alcoholic beverages (liqueurs), baked goods, and condiments. The commercial essential oils are usually methyl-chavicol (an isomer of anethole) and/or linalool rich. However, O. basilicum oils are particularly variable and may also have high amounts of methyl-cinammate, geraniol, eugenol, and methyl-eugenol. In this review article on Origin, Taxonomy, Botanical Description, Genetic Diversity, Breeding and Cultivation of Basil are discussed.
