Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Ocimum tenuiflorum, commonly known as holy basil, tulasi or tulsi (from Sanskrit), is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] It is widely cultivated throughout the Southeast Asian tropics .
Various folk cultures and traditions assign symbolic meanings to plants. Although these are no longer commonly understood by populations that are increasingly divorced from their rural traditions, some meanings survive. In addition, these meanings are alluded to in older pictures, songs and writings.
Sacred herbs are herbs that are considered sacred in some religions.Herbs such as myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), ague root (Aletris farinosa), and frankincense (Boswellia spp) in Christianity, Nine Herbs Charm in the partially Christianized Anglo-Saxon pagan, and a form of basil called tulsi—revered as a Hindu goddess for its medicinal value—are utilized in their rites and rituals.
The name "basil" comes from the Latin basilius, and the Greek βασιλικόν φυτόν (basilikón phytón), meaning "royal/kingly plant", possibly because the plant was believed to have been used in production of royal perfumes. [21] Basil is likewise sometimes referred to in French as "l'herbe royale" ('the royal herb'). [22]
[19] [13] The tulasi herb is a centre of household religious devotion particularly among women and is referred to as the "women's deity" and "a symbol of wifehood and motherhood", it is also called "the central sectarian symbol of Hinduism" and Vaishnavas consider it as "the manifestation of god in the plant kingdom". [20] [7]
Tulsi or holy basil It is used for a variety of purposes in traditional medicine; tulsi is taken in many forms: as herbal tea, dried powder, fresh leaf or mixed with ghee. Essential oil extracted from Karpoora tulasi is mostly used for medicinal purposes and in herbal cosmetics. [112] Oenothera: Evening primrose
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]
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.