Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas

Kauaʻi record · kba_plant_ocimum_gratissimum

Wild Basil

Ocimum gratissimum

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Wild Basil (Ocimum gratissimum)
Wild Basil (Ocimum gratissimum) · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas · AI-generated reconstruction · Kauaʻi Conservation Atlas community media · Primary ecological plate v1.5.3; visual and safe-area review passed · Image source

About Wild Basil

A woody-based perennial subshrub with stalked ovate pointed leaves bearing serrate margins and many gland dots. Small greenish-white-to-greenish-yellow flowers have two-lipped, gland-dotted calyces that enlarge in fruit. The fruits are small, nearly rounded, slightly wrinkled nutlets. Established wild occurrence warrants observations of occupied cover, reproductive plants and new recruits. These measurements can test persistence and spread. The reviewed accounts do not quantify an island-wide effect on Kauaʻi native vegetation.

Kauaʻi evidence

Generated media is not occurrence evidence. Proposed monitoring endpoints are not reported observations, measured effects or causal findings.

Names and classification

Scientific name
Ocimum gratissimum
Common names
wild basil
Other names
Ocimum gratissimum · wild basil
Record type
Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence
Recorded on Kauaʻi
Origin
Introduced
Conservation status
Not yet assessed
Evidence date
2026-10-07
Evidence limits
Island-level public occurrence only.

Habitat and ecology

Habitats
Not yet assessed
Food and resource needs
Not yet assessed
Reproduction
Not yet assessed
Shelter
Not yet assessed
Growth form
Shrub or subshrub; Perennial herb or subshrub, woody at base; stems 1‒3 m long.

Threats and conservation

Monitoring
Occupied area and vegetation cover; Mature plants and new recruits; Reproductive plants and fruiting frequency. Proposed monitoring endpoints are not reported observations, measured effects or causal findings.
Data gaps
Current island extent and population trend · Measured local ecological effects

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing
Not yet assessed
Seasonal description
A woody-based perennial subshrub with stalked ovate pointed leaves bearing serrate margins and many gland dots. Small greenish-white-to-greenish-yellow flowers have two-lipped, gland-dotted calyces that enlarge in fruit. The fruits are small, nearly rounded, slightly wrinkled nutlets. Established wild occurrence warrants observations of occupied cover, reproductive plants and new recruits. These measurements can test persistence and spread. The reviewed accounts do not quantify an island-wide effect on Kauaʻi native vegetation.

Sources and further reading

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