Ocimum centraliafricanum explained

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 in a process called Geobotanical prospecting.^{[2] [3]}

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.^[4]

Notes and References

1. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=136846 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
2. News: Mining firms discover old-timers can be worth their weight in gold . John W. Miller . The Wall Street Journal . 3 March 2013 . 5 March 2013.
3. Book: Brooks, Robert R. . Noble Metals and Biological Systems: Their Role in Medicine, Mineral Exploration, and the Environment . CRC Press . 1992 . 9780849361647 . 181.
4. 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 . 10.2307/2258533. 2258533 .