Henna Plant
Scientific name
Lawsonia inermis L.
English Name
Henna Plant
Malayalam name
മൈലാഞ്ചി
Common name
Mehandi plant
Description
- Habit : Shrub
- Habitat : Grown as hedge plant
- Leaves : elliptic or oblong to oblanceolate.
- Flowers : creamy-white, sweet-scented.
- Fruit : purplish-green, globose.
How to use
- Skin diseases : Leaf paste or decoction are used for the treatment of skin diseases, boils, burns, bruises, inflammations
- Liver disease : Root decoction is used to treat liver diseases.
- Conjunctivitis : Paste ofleaves applied over eyelids to cure conjunctivitis.
- Coloring agent : Henna as a colouring agent, it is mixed with other natural dyes to make a hair dye and even for textiles.
Uses
Anti-pyretic, diuretic and anti-inflammatory
Parts used
Leaves, bark and root
Conservation
Propagation & Cultivation
It can also be grown easily from stem cuttings. One or two irrigation and weeding required after rainy season. The leaves are cut in the month of March-April and should dry in the shade so as to retain green color of leaves.