Eden

Penang Botanic Gardens Plant Collection

Lawsonia inermis L. (LYTHRACEAE)

Posted at — Nov 13, 2019
Henna, Inai

Description

Shrub or small straggly tree 2-6 m tall, unarmed when young, often with spine tipped twigs when older. Leaves 1.8-4 cm long, opposite, elliptic to lanceolate. Flowers c. 1 cm across, white to pale red, fragrant, in large pyramidal branched clusters at end of twigs. Fruits 4-8 mm across, spherical with persistent style at top and shallow calyx at base.


Ecology

Dry coastal scrub wasteland to inland secondary vegetation.

Distribution

E Africa to W India. Often naturalised in SE Asia.

Uses

Widely cultivated for its fragrant flowers. Henna produces a well-known dye from the leaves.