Entry for Ocimum gratissimum Linn.

[family LABIATAE]
Action
None
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Contributing Partner Information Page
Collection
Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry from
Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol 3
Names
Ocimum gratissimum Linn. [family LABIATAE]
Ocimum viride Willd. [family LABIATAE]
Common names
English: fever plant (of Sierra Leone); fever leaf; fever bush; tea bush; mosqui
to plant; thymol tree.
French: menthe sauvage; basilic de Ceylan (Berhaut).
West African: GUINEA-BISSAU CRIOULO do SENEGAL CRIOULO dorda (JB) FULA-PULAAR (Se
negal) kunfr (JB) MANDING-MANINKA sukuru baba (JB) SUSU barikiri (JB) WOLOF tibus
from English: tea bush (JB) THE GAMBIA MANDING-MANDINKA sise jambo the leaf (JMD
)
Uses
General
Agri-horticulture: ornamental, cultivated or partially tended; veterinary medici
ne
Medicines: leprosy
Phytochemistry: alkaloids; glycosides, saponims, steroids; insecticides, arachni
cides
Products: household, domestic and personal items
Foliage, root
Agri-horticulture: fodder
Leaf
Drink: infusions
Food: general
Medicines: "intestines"; anus, haemorrhoids; arthritis, rheumatism, etc.; brain,
nervous system; cutaneous, subcutaneous parasitic infection; diarrhoea, dysente
ry; dropsy, swellings, oedema, gout; ear treatments; eye treatments; fabrifuges;
generally healing; kidneys, diuretics; laxatives, etc.; liver, etc.; naso-phary
ngeal affections; oral treatments; pain-killers; paralysis, epilepsy, convulsion
s, spasm; venereal diseases; vermifuges
Phytochemistry: antibiotic, bacteristatic, fungistatic; aromatic substances
Leaf, flower
Medicines: pulmonary troubles; sedatives, etc.
Leaf, flower, root
Medicines: malnutrition, debility
Leaf, root
Medicines: emetics; stomach troubles
Plant, root
Social: religion, superstitions, magic
Root
Medicines: antidotes (venomous stings, bites, etc.)
Products
English: Fever bush; Tea-bush; Mosquito plant; Fever leaf; Thymol tree; Fever pl
ant
French: Basilic de Ceylan; Menthe sauvage
Description
A shrub to 12 m tall; anthropogenic of village areas, not found in the wild; comm
on in W Africa from The Gambia to Fernando Po, and generally widespread in tropi
cal Africa, and introduced and cultivated in India and in the Caribbean and N an
d S America.M
References
1. Adegoke & al., 1968. 2. Ainslie, 1937: sp. no. 249, as O. viride. 3. Ampofo,
1983: 1, 3132, 49, as O. viride. 4. Andoh FH.5537, K. 5. Baldwin, Jr. 5872, K. 6.
Bates 60, K. 7. Bouquet, 1969: 143. 8. idem, 1972: 30, as O. viride Willd. 9. B
ou
Contributor
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew