Ocimum

Herbs or soft shrublets. Leaves dentate to entire. Inflorescences terminal, spike-like, on main and lateral branches in upper part of plant; flowers shortly pedicellate in usually 6-flowered verticils; bracts much smaller than leaves; pedicels ascending. Calyx bilabiate, 5-toothed; tube short, campanulate; upper tooth much larger than the rest, broadly ovate to subrotund, decurrent on tube; two lateral teeth small, subulate; two lower teeth fused, forming an oblong, emarginate or 2-toothed lip. Corolla small, bilabiate, mauve to whitish; tube campanulate, slightly concave. Stamens 4, didynamous, shortly exserted; upper pair arising near base of corolla tube, kneed and with a tuft of hairs near base of filaments; lower pair arising in corolla mouth; anthers 1-thecous. Disc saucer-shaped, 4-lobed. Ovary glabrous; style exserted; stigma shortly 2-lobed. Nutlets globose, mucilaginous when wetted. x = 8 (6, 9, 11, 13) (aneuploids, high polyploidy, B-chromosomes).