On this Wikipedia the basil pesto pasta sauce links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Latin name has been confused with basilisk, as it was supposed to be an antidote to the basilisk’s venom. Basil is an annual, or sometimes perennial, herb used for its leaves.

Its leaves are richly green and ovate, but otherwise come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes depending on cultivar. Basil grows a thick, central taproot. Its flowers are small and white, and grow from a central inflorescence, or spike, that emerges from the central stem atop the plant. The various basils have such distinct scents because the volatile aromatic compounds vary with cultivars. Basil is native to India and other tropical regions stretching from Africa to South East Asia, but has now become globalized due to human cultivation. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.