Common names: Henna, Henne, Mehandi, Mendee, Al-Khanna, Al- henna, khidab, Jamaica
Mignonette, Egyptian Privet, Smooth Lawsonia, Reseda Henna is a shrub, 8-15
feet high, with small white, yellow, pink or cream-colored sweet smelling flowers.
It produces blue-black berries. It thrives in hot, dry climates. Powdered (young)
leaves of the plant have been in use from the most ancient times in Middle-
Eastern and South Asian countries for dyeing the hair and the nails. The dyeing
process is a chemical property of a brown tannin-like resinoid fracture substance
that is called hennotannic acid. |
information from http://www.aryawat.com/mehendi/index.htm
For more about the science of Henna read www.thehennapage.com. It has wonderful articles that thoroughly elaborate on the chemistry of Henna.