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This is a herb similar to the Ocimum. The leaves are scented, the flower is tiny,like that of Leucas aspera. Please help me know its botanical and common names.
Oops, when I looked up the botanical name you gave, of course it's basil. I only knew the common name, but at least I recognized it! Jardinera here at DG gave me a garbage bag full of basil and I spent an entire afternoon making garlic/walnut pesto with it! I will never forget what it looks like, LOL.
Anyone can point to some classification of types of basil??
Many types hee, all known with their local names, never used in the Greek kitchen, while the Italians make wonders of it, my favorite being pasta pesto and insalata Caprese.
Yes, and it is very interesting. But it gives me no hint as
(a) all leaves are shown the same size, and the main difference between basil types is the leaf size and texture.
(b) I must add that the same species may show different character according not only to the country where it grows, but also according to the patricular place in the same garden, the time of planting, the soil quality etc. Basil is usually annual and it grows, flowers and seeds as quickly as possible in high heat or hard soil. So, a friend of mine brought me the basil Italians use for cooking, and it became such a small plant, so many flowering and seeding ends, it was harly any use at all. (Crete is much hotter than Italy, as it is nearer the Equator). In the same garden now, (mine), a particular type of basil here it grows 1 meter tall before flowering, and there it has the flowers ready before it is 1/2m tall.
Yet, this plant is amazing: you propagate it by cutting a twig (about 15 - 20 cm long), and put it in a glass of water, as it is, all leaves on it. It wil lgrow new roots in just 4 - 5 days. Keep adding water without throwing the old water away - plant it in a pot and it grows even faster. This way, in the same season, you can make 20 - 30 pots and still have the original one growing. It keeps growing until it flowers and seeds. For this reason, you keep pinching the tips off - it never stops growing.
i feel it is better to root it in soil kept wet for a week and then brought down to a normal water level. I find that roots grown in water tend to be brittle and the plants do not do as well when put in soil.
just my opinion
Dinu, I will try to get some seeds from one of the plants.
The first sample that came here was from Jerusalem, 3 years ago. Of course, as a type of basil this existed here as long as I can remember, but the particular one is more vigorous in growth, brighter in green color, and stronger in propagating - and wonderful caprese, of course (ripe tomatoes, basil leaves and soft white goat chees, with olive oil salt and a twist of black pepper).
