Subfamily

VII. Subfam. Nepetoideae (Dumort.) Luerss. (1882).

VII. 3. Tribe Ocimeae Dumort. (1829).

VII. 3. D. Subtribe Ociminae (Dumort.) Schmidt in Martius (1858).

Subtribe Moschominae Endlicher (1838).

Description

Annual herb, aromatic; stems branched; leaves simple; inflorescence thyrsoid with cymes sessile, usually 3-, more rarely fewer-flowered, flowers usually secund; bracts persistent, not coloured, inconspicuous; calyx shortly tubular, straight or curving upwards, strongly 2-lipped, 5-lobed (1/4), lobes unequal, posterior rounded, decurrent, curving upwards, lateral lobes deltoid, with a prominent shoulder, anterior lobes subulate, throat open, glabrous; corolla very small, 2-lipped, 5-lobed (4/1), white, purple or bluish, posterior lip ascending, 4-lobed with median lobes exceeding lateral lobes, anterior lip horizontal, concave, corolla-tube straight, parallel-sided, dilating towards throat; stamens 4 held over lower lip, posterior pair attached above midpoint of corolla-tube, glabrous, inappendiculate, anterior pair attached at corolla throat; style capitate-clavate; stigma-lobes equal, rounded, connivent; disc equally 4-lobed; nutlets ± ovoid, glabrous, mucilaginous. 2n = 28, 30.  One species, B. polystachyon (L.) Moench, widespread in the Old World tropics, watersides, seasonally flooded areas.

Distribution

Native to:

22 West Tropical Africa
23 West-Central Tropical Africa
24 Northeast Tropical Africa
25 East Tropical Africa
26 South Tropical Africa
27 Southern Africa
29 Western Indian Ocean
35 Arabian Peninsula
36 China
38 Eastern Asia
40 Indian Subcontinent
41 Indo-China
42 Malesia
43 Papuasia
50 Australia

Synonyms

Lumnitzera Jacq. ex Spreng., Syst. Veg. 2: 687 (1825), nom. illeg.
Moschosma Rchb., Consp. Regn. Veg.: 171 (1828).
Perxo Raf., Autik. Bot.: 121 (1840).
Lehmannia Jacq. ex Jacq.f., Ecl. Pl. Rar. 2: t. 108 (1844).

Publication

Basilicum Moench, Suppl. Meth. Pl.: 143 (1802).

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Species found in RBG Kew living collections

1995-2205 Basilicum polystachyon (L.) Moench N GGHP 3932 F JOD SEED T3

Image resource

© Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew