Guess the herb?

Update : Yes! I am so happy many of you guessed it right. That is too sweet.
It's Latin name is Coleus Amboinicus - Priya Bhaskaran gave me all the names!
Panikoorkka (പനിക്കൂര്‍ക്ക) in Malayalam - Sarah
Karpoora valli in Telugu - Vineela
Bilwa Pathrey in Kannada - Aparna and as she says it is Totally medicinal!
Cuban Oregano, Spanish Thyme - Diane
Broad Leaf Thyme - Devaragam

Very fragrant, smells like karpooram and the leaves are thick like a sponge. If you ever get one, please plant it in your yard in semi-shade. Or you can plant it in a container and keep it inside in Winter.

***
To me, maybe due to my limited English vocabulary, herbs always meant small plants which one uses for preparing quick home remedies. Herbs were something which you don’t ‘buy’ but search in your yard or your neighbor’s yard and find them, wash the dirt and use.

I come to U.S.A and everything is a herb here. I mean I never put ‘herbs’ in my curry. I didn’t understand that. Anyway by now, you would have understood I am not that intelligent :)
Also, when I read Fresh Herbs on shop isles, I wondered, Fresh Herbs? Isn’t that an Oxymoron? To me, herbs were always fresh, otherwise why use them?

I would go and search for these Fresh herbs, in small plastic packets, washed and ready to use and neatly labeled. I look at the price and I faint, $2 for 3 tiny stems? Herbs are costlier than milk? I don’t know why, but in my house we have this habit of always comparing other food stuff price with the price of milk. Anyway I never found a real ‘herb’ on those isles which will soothe the dizzy feeling I get when I see the price of it.

This entry is for Kalyn’s Weekend Herb Blogging. But before that, I want my dear friends to guess what this herb is. Clue: This is a REAL herb ;-), found so commonly in our yards back home.

flowers of the herb
leaves of the herb

For kids, the leaves are boiled with water and the water is used to bathe them when they are having fever or cold.

tulsi leaves and flower

The leaves of this herb and tulsi (Indian basil?) is boiled together to a decoction and served with honey to little kids when they are having fever and cold.