Things you need to know about Scent Leave

Scent Leaf

 Ocimum gratissimum, also known as clove basil, African basil, and in Hawaii as wild basil, is a species of Ocimum. It is native to Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, and the Bismarck Archipelago, and naturalized in Polynesia, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama, West Indies, Brazil, and Bolivia.

African basil

Scientific Classification 

Kingdom:     Plantae

Clade:        Angiosperms

Clade:        Eudicots

Clade:        Asterids

Order:        Lamiales

Family:        Lamiaceae

Genus:        Ocimum

Species:    O. gratissimum

Binomial name
Ocimum gratissimum

Other Names

O. gratissimum is a common culinary herb in West Africa and is used by some in the Caribbean, going by many local names.

    Ebe-amwonkho in Edo
    Tchayo in Fon
    Efinrin in Yoruba
    Daidoya in Hausa
    Nchuanwu also Arimu in Igbo
    Ntong in Efik
    Kunudiri in Okrika
    Nunum in Akan
    Nunu Bush in Jamaica (from the Akan language)
    Yerba di holé in Papiamento
    Fobazen in Haiti

Seed Germination

Seeds seem to need strong sunlight to germinate, although germination has been achieved even during an average UK summer.
Pharmacology of extracts and essential oils

The essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum contains eugenol and shows some evidence of antibacterial activity. A polyherbal preparation of a water extract obtained from the leaves of Gongronema latifolia, Vernonia amygdalina and Ocimum gratissimum showed analgesic activity. The essential oil has potential for use as a food preservative, and is toxic to Leishmania. Extracts of the leaves are documented to possess antidiabetic properties, anti-hyperlipidemic effect and recently, it was shown to improve heamatological variables in experimental diabetes mellitus via its well reported antioxidant property.

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