Herbarium JCB

Lawsonia inermis L.

Family : LYTHRACEAE
Family (As per The Plant List) : Lythraceae
Species : Lawsonia inermis L.
Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Lawsonia inermis L.
Common name : Henna, Egyptian priven, Cypress shrub
Vernacular name : Medhini, Nakharanjani (San.); Mehendi (Hin.); Gorante, Madhurangi (Kan.)
Collection Nos : KFP 6746, KFP 9190,
Key identification features : A small-sized and much-branched shrub. Branches are tetragonous. Leaves are simple, nearly sessile, lanceolate, often with a stiff point at the apex. Flowers are small, white or rose-coloured, fragrant and borne on pyramidal panicles. Petals are clawed with undulate margin. Fruit is a globose capsule tipped with persistent style.
Habit : Tree
Flower, Fruit : March-August
Native : India, Arabia, Persia, Egypt
Comments : The leaf paste yields coloring 'Henna Dye' used for tattooing and the Flowers yield 'Henna Scent'.
Conservation Status : Not Evaluated (NE)
Distribution Locality : Cultivated
Floras referred : Saldanha, 1996; Ramaswamy & Razi, 1973 - Bangalore; Seetharam et al., 2000 - Gulbarga; Gopalakrishna Bhat, 2003 - Udupi; Manjunath et al., 2003 - Davanagere