Ocimum tenuiflorum

Ocimum tenuiflorum, commonly known asholy basil,tulasiortulsi(fromSanskrit), is an aromaticperennialplant in the familyLamiaceae.It is widely cultivated throughout theSoutheast Asiantropics.It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia and the western Pacific.This plant has  escaped from cultivation and hasnaturalizedin many tropical regions of the Americas.It is an agricultural andenvironmental weed.
Tulasiis cultivated for religious andtraditional medicinepurposes, and also for itsessential oil. It is widely used as anherbal tea, commonly used inAyurveda, and has a place within theVaishnavatradition ofHinduism, in which devotees perform worship involving holy basil plants or leaves.
Holy basil is an erect, many-branched subshrub, 30–60 cm (12–24 in) tall with hairy stems. Leaves are green or purple; they are simple,petioled, with anovateblade up to 5 cm (2 in) long, which usually has a slightly toothed margin; they are strongly scented and have adecussatephyllotaxy. The purplish flowers are placed in close whorls on elongatedracemes.
The three mainmorphotypescultivated inIndiaandNepalareRam tulsi(the most common type, with broad bright green leaves that are slightly sweet), the less common purplish green-leaved (KrishnaorShyam tulsi) and the common wildvana tulsi(e.g.,Ocimum gratissimum).
The plant and its oil contain diversephytochemicals, includingtannins,flavonoids,eugenol,caryophyllenes,carvacrol,linalool,camphor, andcinnamyl acetate, among others.One study reported that the plant contains an eponymous family of 10neolignancompounds calledtulsinol A-J.
Specificaroma compoundsin theessential oilare camphor (32%),eucalyptol(19%),⍺-bisabolene(17%), eugenol (14%), germacrene (11%) and β-bisabolene (11%).In addition, more than 60 different aroma compounds were found throughgas chromatography–mass spectrometryanalysis of holy basil.However, other studies have stated tulsi essential oil consists mostly of eugenol (70%)β-elemene(11%), β-caryophyllene (8%), andgermacrene(2%), with the balance being made up of various trace compounds, mostlyterpenes.
Tulasihas been used inAyurvedicandSiddhapractices for its supposed medicinal properties.
The leaves of holy basil, known askaphraoin theThai language(กะเพรา), are commonly used inThai cuisinefor certain stir-fries and curries such asphat kaphrao(ผัดกะเพรา) — a stir-fry of Thai holy basil with meats, seafood or, as inkhao phat kraphao, with rice. Two different types of holy basil are used in Thailand, a "red" variant which tends to be more pungent, and a "white" version for seafood dishes.Kaphraoshould not be confused withhorapha(โหระพา), which is normally known asThai basil,or withThai lemon basil(maenglak;แมงลัก).
Holy basil (inMinangkabau languageandIndonesian languageare known asruku-ruku[id]) is also widely used forMinangkabau dishes, particularly for itsgulaivariety, which involves fish as the primary source of protein.These Minangkabau fish gulais that commonly use holy basil such asgulai ikan mas(carp gulai),gulai ikan kakap(red snapper gulai),gulai kepala ikan kakap(red snapper's head gulai),samba ikan gadangorpangek(braised fish gulai),andgulai telur ikan(fish roe gulai). Holy basil leaves are used to enhance flavour.
For centuries, the dried leaves have been mixed with stored grains to repel insects.
The essential oil may havenematicidalproperties againstTylenchulus semipenetrans,Meloidogyne javanica,Anguina tritici, andHeterodera cajani.
WaterdisinfectionusingO. tenuiflorumextracts was tested by Bhattacharjee et al. 2013 and Sadul et al. 2009. Both found analcoholic extractto be more effective thanaqueousorleaf juice. Sundaramurthi et al 2012 finds the result to be safe to drink andantimicrobial. A constituent analysis by Sadul foundalkaloids,steroids, andtanninsin the aqueous, and alkaloids and steroids only in the alcoholic extract.
Tulasiis a sacred plant forHindus, particularly theVaishnavitesect. It is worshipped as theavatarofLakshmi,and is often planted incourtyardsof Hindu houses or temples toHanuman.The ritual lighting of lamps each evening duringKartikincludes the worship of thetulsiplant.Vaishnavites are also known as "those who bear thetulsiaround the neck".
Tulasi Vivahais a ceremonial festival performed betweenPrabodhini Ekadashi(the 11th or 12th lunar day of the bright fortnight of theHindu monthofKartika) andKartik Purnima(the full moon of the month).
Every evening,OdiaandBengaliHindus place earthen lamps in front of tulsi plants. During the Kati Bihu festival celebrated inAssam, people light earthen lamps (diya) at the foot of the household tulsi plants and pray.