Ocimum basilicum ‘Amethyst Improved’ (Basil)

This cultivar is not found in the wild. It is typically used as an ornamental plant, because of the unusual color of its leaves.

Plants: This cultivar of basil grows to 1–1½′ (38–50 cm). Stems and branches are square in cross-section.

Leaves: Shiny, deep purple leaves are almost black. The leaves are opposite, ovate in shape, 1–3″ (2.5–7.6 cm) long, curled, with green edges that look almost yellow in contrast to the rest of the leaf.

Flowers: Purple flower stalks have small racemes with white, pinkish, or purplish flowers ¼–½″ (8–13 mm) in size.

Habitats: The natural plant originated in tropical Asia and Africa, and is now cultivated worldwide.

Edibility: Flowers taste strongly of basil, and may be used anywhere that calls for basil.

9/7/2010 · New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, Boylston, Massachusetts · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Lamiaceae	Mint family
Genus	Ocimum	New Latin, from Latin, basil, from Greek ōkimon
Species	basilicum	From Latin basilicum, (“royal robe”), substantive of basilicus, (“royal, princely”)

About plant names...

Range: Zones 2-11:

About this map...

Ocimum basilicum ‘Amethyst Improved’ description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.