It's not "the same" plant per se, but it's the same species. As stated, it's a cultivar of Ocimum basilicum, which means they are the same species with significantly different phenotypes.Originally Posted by dglmann
Have a gander at the vast differences within the same species (cultivars): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_basil_cultivars
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet