Ocimum minimum

{{Speciesbox

|image = Bush_basil_AKA_manjerico.jpg

|genus = Ocimum

|species = minimum

|authority = L., 1753

}}

Ocimum minimum is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae.{{cite web | url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-136993 | title=Ocimum minimum | publisher=The Plant List | access-date=14 September 2015}} It is sometimes referred to as bush basil in reference to the way this perennial grows.

Portugal

In Portuguese this plant is known as manjerico. In Portugal, it is an iconic figure of the country, widely sold in stores or in street fairs during the month of June due to the celebration of the Portuguese Midsummer, that goes by the name of Santos Populares.{{Cite web|last=RFM|title=A verdadeira história do manjerico|url=https://rfm.sapo.pt/content/4471/a-verdadeira-historia-do-manjerico|access-date=2021-05-06|website=RFM|language=pt-pt}} It is often a motif of Marchas Populares. Traditionally, the manjerico was bought by men as a gift to their lovers.{{Cite web|date=2015-06-12|title= Tradição dos Manjericos |url=http://liveportugal.pt/tradicao-dos-manjericos/|access-date=2021-05-06|website=Live Portugal|language=pt-PT}} The plant usually comes in a small flowerpot featuring a paper flower and a paper flag with a written poem, either dedicated to somebody or praising a specific town or holiday, or with verses featuring a humorous, provocative meaning.

The plant is praised for its characteristic pleasant smell. The cultural impact of manjerico is well depicted in Portuguese art, such as in poems by Fernando Pessoa{{Cite web|title=Manjerico que te deram, - Poema de Fernando Pessoa|url=https://www.escritas.org/pt/t/50000/manjerico-que-te-deram|access-date=2021-05-06|website=escritas.org}} or in fados by Amália Rodrigues.{{Citation|title=Amália Rodrigues - Lisboa dos Manjericos|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71cFSemLEtk|language=en|access-date=2021-05-06}}

References

minimum

Category:Plants described in 1753

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus