Henna

 Family Name : LYTHRACEAE 

Botanical Name : LAWSONIA INERMIS 

Common Name : HENNA, AL-KHANNA, AL-HENNA, JAMAICA MIGNONETTE, MEHNDI, MENDEE, EGYPTIAN PRIVET, SMOOTH LAWSONIA 

Part Used : FLOWERS, POWDERED LEAVES, FRUIT 

Habitat : Scarcely in dry decidious forests, widely cultivated as a hedge plant. 

Uses : The roots are bitter, refrigerant, depurative, diuretic, emmenagogue, abortifacient and trichogenous and is useful in burning sensation, leprosy skin diseases and amenorrhoea. It is used in pre mature graying of hair. Henna is widely used for drawing tattoos, arts and designs. Leaves are useful in wounds ulcers strangury cough, bronchitis, dysentery etc. The fruit is thought to have emmenagogue properties.