ABSTRACT
Basil is an important part of Lamiaceace family. Besides having various economical importance it also has diverse uses in
the traditional medicines. It is rich in camphor, geraniol, linalool and linalyl acetate. The genus is highly variable and
possesses wide range of diversity at the level of morphology, chemical and genetic make-up. For analyzing the variation
existing in the genus Ocimum, the chemical analyses of its essential oils and DNA fingerprinting were prominently utilized.
This is utmost helpful in plant improvement programs as well as developing a well-organized way to conserve the genetic
wealth of the genus. In this paper, we have thrown light on how the combinatorial approach of studying the morphological
traits, essential oil composition and DNA markers is useful in verifying the taxonomy of Ocimum.