Taxon:  Ocimum ×africanum Lour.



Summary
Genus:
Ocimum
Family:
Lamiaceae (alt. Labiatae)
Subfamily:
Nepetoideae
Tribe:
Ocimeae
Subtribe:
Ociminae
Nomen number:
463843
Place of publication:
Fl. cochinch. 2:370.  1790, pro sp. "Ocymum"
Hybrid parentage:
= Ocimum americanum × O. basilicum
Verified:
11/24/2023 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
13 (12  active, 11  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Ocimum ×citriodorum Vis.
Ocimum americanum L. var. pilosum (Willd.) A. J. Paton
Ocimum basilicum L. var. anisatum Benth.
Ocimum basilicum L. var. pilosum (Willd.) Benth.
Ocimum pilosum Willd.

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
  4. Suddee, S. et al. 2005. Taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia III. Ociminae. Kew Bull. 60:28-29.
  5. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishhoary basil as Ocimum americanum var pilosum1McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: as Ocimum americanum var. pilosum
Englishlemon basil as Ocimum ×citriodorum1Darrah, H. H. 1974. Investigation of the cultivars of the basils (Ocimum). Econ. Bot. 28:65. Note: as Ocimum ×citriodorum
Swedishcitronbasilika  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chineseshu rou mao bian zhong as Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum2Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition). Note: as Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaEthiopia  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaAnhui Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaFujian Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuangdong Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaGuizhou Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaHebei Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaHenan Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaJiangsu Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaJiangxi Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaSichuan Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaYunnan Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaZhejiang Sheng Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaTaiwan  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaCambodia  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaLaos  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaVietnam  Suddee, S. et al. 2005. Taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia III. Ociminae. Kew Bull. 60:28-29.
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
2Cultivated    widely cult.Suddee, S. et al. 2005. Taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia III. Ociminae. Kew Bull. 60:28-29.
4Naturalized    natzd. in neotropicsSuddee, S. et al. 2005. Taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia III. Ociminae. Kew Bull. 60:28-29.
Native
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Malawi
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar
Asia-Temperate
  • CHINA: China [Anhui Sheng, Fujian Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Guizhou Sheng, Hebei Sheng, Henan Sheng, Jiangsu Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng, Sichuan Sheng, Yunnan Sheng, Zhejiang Sheng]
  • EASTERN ASIA: Taiwan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India
  • INDO-CHINA: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam
  • MALESIA: Malaysia
Cultivated (widely cult.)
Naturalized (natzd. in neotropics)

Reference(s)
  1. Govaerts, R. World checklist of selected plant families (on-line resource).
  2. Suddee, S. et al. 2005. Taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia III. Ociminae. Kew Bull. 60:28-29.
  3. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  4. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Human foodgum/mucilage Suddee, S. et al. 2005. Taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia III. Ociminae. Kew Bull. 60:28-29.
Human foodvegetable Suddee, S. et al. 2005. Taxonomic revision of tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (Lamiaceae) in continental South East Asia III. Ociminae. Kew Bull. 60:28-29.
Medicinesfolkloreas Ocimum americanum var. pilosumMcGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland. Note: as Ocimum americanum var. pilosum
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=463843. Accessed 14 April 2026.