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Lawsonia inermis

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Lawsonia inermis

 

Kingdom :

Plantae

Division :

Tracheophyta

Subdivision:

Spermatophytina

Class :

Magnoliopsida

Superorder:

Rosanae

Order :

Myrtales

Family :

Lythreaceae

Genus

Lawsonia

Species :

Inermis

Binomial name : 

Lawsonia inermis L.

Synonyms:

Lawsonia alba Lam.

Common name(s)

Henna, Menhdi

Distribution:

Henna plantation is distributed wildly in dry and sub tropical zones including Indian subcontinent, Syria, Egypt, middle east and North Africa.

Habitat:

It is glabrous branched shrub or small tree which is 8 to 10 meter in height. The leaves are small, sub-sessile and greenish brown to dull green in color, and have either a glabrous, obtuse or acute apex with a tapering base. Flowers are small of red or rose colour.

Propagation:

It grows where minimum temperatures stay above 11ºC. It can tolerate extreme heat and long droughts. However, the optimum temperature for propagation is 25ºC. It grows near desert oasis, and in semiarid regions. It thrives in alluvial soils, where there is annual precipitation of 0.2 to 0.4 m and a soil pH of 4.3 to 8.0. It is a perennial shrub native to North Africa, Asia and Australia and it is naturalized and cultivated in the tropics of America, Egypt, India and parts of the Middle East. It is commonly grown nears houses and on the banks of paths. The seeds are grown in the months of March-April and in the month of July-August the seedlings are replanted.

Flowering Time:

The fragrant flowers are white or rose-red in colour.

Fruiting Time:

Harvesting Time:

Harvested after three months of plantation in the month of October-November and April-May of every year. Once transplanted can be harvested for 50 – 60 years.

Storage:

Seeds are stored orthodoxically. Long-term storage of seeds is possible Leaves are dried in the shade to retain the green colour (Orwa et.al. 2009).

Pests:

Very few pests attack henna.

Diseases of the plant:

Black root rot caused by Corticium koleroga and bacterial leaf sport caused by Xanthomonas lawsoniae (Orwa et. al., 2009)

Parts Used:

Leaves, flowers, seeds and roots.

Organoleptic properties

The leaves on twigs are green in colour with fragrance which turned dark brown after drying.

Phytochemical Constituents:

The leaves contain chief component lawsone (2-hydroxy-1, 4-napthoquinone) which is red-orange in colour (Burgundy dye colour). Lawsone is also known as hennotannic acid. The chemical are (tannins) eugenol, gexadecanoic acid, phytol, α-terpineol, etherphenylvinyl and bisabolene.

Pharmacological activities:

Abortifacient, acaricidal (anti-lice), allergenic, alterative, analgesic, anesthetic, anthelmintic, anti-edemic, anti-fertility, anti-hyaluronidase, antiinflammatory, Antileukemic, anti-microbial Antioxidant, Antipapillomic, anti-perspirant, anti-septic, anti-spasmodic, anti-tumor, anti-tussive, anti-viral, astringent, bactericide, candidicide, cardiodepressant, cerebrotonic, chemopreventive, collyrium, deodorant, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue, emollient, expectorant, febrifuge, fungicide, hepatoprotective, hypotensive, insecticide, molluscicide, nematicide, nitrate-reductase inhibitor, peroxidase inhibitor, propecic, protopectinase inhibitor, refrigerant, reverse-transcriptase inhibitor, sedative, soporific, sunscreen, trypanocide, trypsin Inhibitor, tuberculostatic, uterosedative and vulnerary 

Traditional Uses:

The leaves are used in the treatments of wounds, ulcers, cough, bronchitis, lumbago, rheumatagia, inflammations, diarrhoea, dysentry, leucoderma, scabies, boils, anaemia, haemorrhages, fever, falling of hair and greyness hair. Traditionally it is used to develop red or black colouring of hands, wrist, arms, feet and lower parts of legs. World wide it is known as colouring agent used to stain hairs, skin and nails.

Recipes:

Tea prepared from is said to be taken to prevent obesity (Orwa et. al., 2009).

Adverse reactions:

The tannins may cause stomach problems.

Dosage forms:

Leaf powder

Posology:

3 gms leaf powder taken orally for amoebiasis and ulcers.

Contraindications:

Contraindicated during pregnancy

Astrology:

References:

Photograph provided by Mrs. Saroj Bala

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