Ocimum centraliafricanum
| Ocimum centraliafricanum | |
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| Species: | O. centraliafricanum
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| Binomial name | |
| Ocimum centraliafricanum | |
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Becium homblei (De Wild) Duvign. & Plancke | |
Ocimum centraliafricanum, the copper flower or copper plant, is a perennial herb found in central Africa (DRC, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe).[1] It is well known for its tolerance of high levels of copper in the soil, and is even used by geologists prospecting for precious metals.[2]
Description
It is able to tolerate soils with copper concentrations of up to 15,000 ppm, and soils with nickel concentrations of almost 5000 ppm.[3]
References
- ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ John W. Miller (3 March 2013). "Mining firms discover old-timers can be worth their weight in gold". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ Howard-Williams, C. (1970). "The ecology of Becium homblei in Central Africa with special reference to metalliferous soils". Journal of Ecology. 58 (3): 745–763. doi:10.2307/2258533.
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