Botanical name: Lawsonia inermis Family: Lythraceae (Crape Myrtle family)
Henna, or Menhdi as it is called in Hindi, is a symbol of festivity in India. It is especially associated with marriage in north India. Its leaves produce the henna or alhenna of the Arabs (cyprus of the ancients), a yellow die which is used in Egypt and elsewhere by women to color their nails, and by men to die their beards, and for other similar uses including horses manes and tails. It is known in the West Indies as "Egyptian privet", and sometimes as "reseda". It is the camphire of the authorized version of the Bible. A member of the Lythraceae, along with Crape Myrtles and Mexican Heather. Among the most fragrant flowers on earth. Widely cultivated in tropical countries but probably native to North Africa and Asia. It is best grown as a tender outdoor container tropical or annual and can be propagated by cuttings or seed. The fragrance is best from a distance when mixed with air.
Identification credit: Radhika Vathsan • Is this flower misidentified? If yes,
The flower labeled Henna is ...