Basil, native to Asia and India, was an herb already widely used during antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Medieval legend explains that it appeared from unsatisfied love; a young man loses his beloved, and disconsolate in her grave, from his tears a flower of pleasant perfume, basil, sprouted.
Its delicate and sensual perfume has made basil a sexual stimulant, and it is associated with love. There are very few herbs so clearly associated with sex.