Bernice Puahi Bishop Museum · CC BY-NC · GBIF · full resolution
Ocimum gratissimum
African Basil
As recorded: Ocimum gratissimum L.
Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Lamiales › Lamiaceae
- Collected by
- Nagata, K.M.; Park, G.Kenneth M. Nagata →G. Park →
- Collector number
- 2037
- Date
- February 17, 1980
- Locality
- growing in shade of tall Leucaena leucocephala just east of Farrington Hwy. Keaau, Waianae District
- Island
- Oʻahu
- Region
- Hawaii, United States
- Elevation
- 5 m
- Identified by
- Herbst, D.R.; Sohmer, S.H.; Wagner, W.L.Derral R. Herbst →Seymour H. Sohmer →Warren L. Wagner Jr. →
- Record type
- Preserved specimen
Collected the same day
On February 17, 1980, Nagata, K.M.; Park, G. also collected 1 other specimen.
Ocimum gratissimum observed alive in Hawaiʻi
This specimen was collected in 1980. Since 2000, iNaturalist observers have recorded 15 research-grade sightings in the wild, most recently on 2026-08-16.

2026-08-16
Kalaoa, HI, US
(c) Jason Flor Flores, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

2026-02-27
Waianae, HI 96792, USA
no rights reserved

2026-01-07
Kauaʻi, Kilauea, HI, US
(c) yagamiya, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

2025-09-07
Hawaii Kai, Honolulu, HI, USA
(c) Daniel Ward, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

2025-03-18
Pearl City, HI, US
(c) Kellen Apuna, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

2024-02-19
Aliamanu - Salt Lakes - Foster Village, Honolulu, HI, USA
(c) Mike Ross, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Observations and photos from iNaturalist, shown only when openly licensed.
Cite this specimen
Ocimum gratissimum. BISH 128798. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu. GBIF occurrence 5956691664. Accessed via explore.bishopmuseum.org/specimens/bish/128798.
Record sources
- GBIF occurrence 5956691664 ↗
- Data license: CC_BY_NC_4_0
- Last harvested October 26, 2026
