The botanical for Henna is ' Lawsonia inermis' and it belongs to the botanical family 'N.O. Lythraceae'. 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 is what is used for dyeing hair, nails and skin.
Henna is native to a number of tropical regions in Asia, northern Africa, and Australia. Henna is best known for the ground leaves (also called henna) traditionally used to develop a orange, red, brown or black coloring to hands, feet and hair. The leaves of henna have been used in Asia and the Middle East since ancient times as a hair, nail, and skin dye. The use of henna by the Egyptians to dye skin dates back to about 5000 years ago, who painted the nails of the dead with henna.
Henna has also been known to be referred to as : Henne, Mehandi, Mendee, Al-Khanna, Al- henna, khidab, Jamaica Mignonette, Egyptian Privet, Smooth Lawsonia, Reseda.