Basil

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Basil, common name for any of a genus of plants of the mint family. Basil is a sweet herb used for fragrance and as a seasoning for food. Sweet basil is an annual plant, a native of warm climates, about 30 cm (about 12 in) high, with ovate stalked leaves, and has long been cultivated in Europe. Bush basil is a small cultivated form. Basil, or mountain mint, is also a common name for plants of a separate, North American genus of the mint family.

Scientific classification: Basil belongs to the family Lamiaceae (formerly Labiatae). Sweet basil is classified as Ocimum basilicum and bush basil as Ocimum minimum. Mountain mints are classified in the genus Pycnanthemum.

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