Agbo

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Upper Volta, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Trinidad, C Africa, Nigeria

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Ache(Head), Ache(Stomach), Aftosa, Anesthetic

Science studied: ACETIC-ACID, AMY-ALCOHOL, ARABINOSE, BENZOIC-ACID

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Lamiaceae

Scientific name: Ocimum gratissimum

Common names: Agbo, Shrubby Basil, African basil, Afrika fesleğeni, Alfavaca-cravo, Arjaka, Atroveram, Basilic africain, Basilic sauvage, Baumier, Gros baume, Menthe gabonaise, Basilic sauvage, Clove basil, African basil, Wild basil, Shrubby Basil, Tea bush, Zulu basil East Indian Basil, Mosquito plant, Fever Plant, Tree Basil, Creinagel, East Indian basil, Kanza m'dzade, Louro, Manjericão-aniz, Manjericão-cheiroso, Mrule

POWO: 452969-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Dominican Republic, Haiti, Upper Volta, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Elsewhere, Trinidad, C Africa and 8 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Ache(Head)
• Ache(Stomach)
• Aftosa
• Anesthetic
• Anodyne
• Antiseptic
• Bactericide
• Bite(Snake)

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Dominican Republic
• Haiti
• Upper Volta
• Ghana
• Sierra Leone
• Elsewhere
• Trinidad
• C Africa
• Nigeria
• Ivory Coast
• Africa
• India

Documented cultural uses

• Ache(Head)
• Ache(Stomach)
• Aftosa
• Anesthetic
• Anodyne
• Antiseptic
• Bactericide
• Bite(Snake)
• Blennorrhagia
• Catarrh
• Cold
• Colic

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Ache(Head) · Dominican Republic · "
• Ache(Head) · Haiti · "
• Ache(Head) · Upper Volta · "
• Ache(Stomach) · Ghana · "
• Ache(Stomach) · Sierra Leone · "
• Aftosa · Haiti · "
• Anesthetic · Elsewhere · "
• Anodyne · Haiti · "
• Antiseptic · Haiti · "
• Bactericide · Elsewhere · "
• Bactericide · Trinidad · "
• Bite(Snake) · Ghana · "
• Blennorrhagia · C Africa · "
• Catarrh · Haiti · "
• Catarrh · Nigeria · "
• Cold · Ivory Coast · "
• Colic · Elsewhere · "
• Cough · Upper Volta · "
• Diaphoretic · Africa · "
• Digestive · Elsewhere · "
• Dysentery · Elsewhere · "
• Dysentery · Ghana · "
• Dysmenorrhea · Trinidad · "
• Ejaculation · India · "

45 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Effects of in ovo Ocimum gratissimum leaf extract on hatchability and post-hatch performance in Cobb 500 broilers · 2026 source ↗
• <i>Ocimum gratissimum</i>: Chemical Composition, Phytochemical Properties, Antioxidants, and Pharmacological Activities: A Review. · 2026 source ↗
• Alkaloid-Rich Extracts from Ocimum gratissimum and Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides as Potential Antibiotic Adjuvants Against Resistant Bacterial Pathogens · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ACETIC-ACID
• AMY-ALCOHOL
• ARABINOSE
• BENZOIC-ACID
• BUTYRIC-ACID
• CADINENE
• CAPROIC-ACID
• BETA-CARYOPHYLLENE
• CITRAL
• CLOVENE
• COPAENE
• ALPHA-P-DIMETHYL-STYRENE
• BETA-ELEMENE
• EO
• EUGENOL
• ALPHA-FENCHENE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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