henna plant

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Camphire
• Egyptian Privet
• Henna Tree
• Mignonette Tree
• Egyptian-privet
• Jamaica-mignonette
• mignonette-tree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Alcanna spinosa
• Alkanna spinosa
• Rotantha combretoides
• Lawsonia purpurea
• Lawsonia inermis var. spinosa
• Lawsonia spinosa
• Lawsonia falcifolia
• Lawsonia coccinea
• Casearia multiflora
• Lawsonia alba var. flavescens
• Lawsonia alba var. miniata

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Myrtales, it is classified under the family Lythraceae and is identified by the genus Lawsonia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known scientifically as Lawsonia inermis, exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several regions. In Northern Africa, it is commonly found growing within the territories of Algeria and Libya. The species also extends its range across the North African landscape into Morocco and Tunisia. Moving toward the West Tropical Africa region, the plant can be located in Benin. These diverse locations highlight the plant's ability to thrive in various North and West African climates.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Lawsonia inermis is characterized by its adaptation to low-lying environments, with an elevational range spanning from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum altitude of 1000 m AMSL. It thrives primarily within coastal bushland and wooded grassland habitats, where it can integrate into the existing vegetation structures of these specific ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

1000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

coastal bushland, wooded grassland

Life history

The life history of Lawsonia inermis is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its regenerative buds are located on aerial shoots well above the ground, contributing to its structural stability and growth habit. Furthermore, the plant exhibits an evergreen deciduousness, maintaining its foliage and physiological activity throughout its life cycle.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Lawsonia inermis is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically functioning as a shrub. It is a self-supporting plant that does not require climbing structures, acting neither as a liana nor a vine. As a terrestrial species, it is neither aquatic nor semiaquatic, and it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior, remaining strictly terrestrial in its growth habit. The plant is an independent organism, functioning without any parasitic relationship to other plants. In terms of stature, it typically reaches an average height of 5.5 m, maintaining a robust, woody structure throughout its development.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

5.5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lawsonia inermis is characterized by its ability to thrive in arid and semi-arid environments through specialized metabolic and structural adaptations. As a drought-tolerant shrub, it utilizes efficient water-management strategies to maintain cellular homeostasis under high evaporative demand. Regarding its nutrient acquisition processes, the plant is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms; instead, it relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system. Its metabolic processes are geared toward survival in nutrient-poor soils, often employing deep root systems to access moisture and minerals. The plant's secondary metabolism is particularly notable for the synthesis of lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone), a bioactive compound produced as a defense mechanism against herbivory and microbial pathogens, which is integrated into its physiological response to environmental stressors.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Lawsonia inermis is characterized by a specific phenological cycle and distinct seed morphology. The flowering period of the plant is variable, typically initiating in September and concluding in February. The reproductive output is manifested through the production of seeds that exhibit significant variations in mass. The seed mass follows a narrow range, with a minimum recorded mass of 0.0007 g and a maximum of 0.00188 g. On average, the seeds possess a mean mass of approximately 0.001228889 g, reflecting the delicate nature of its progeny during the dispersal process.

Flowering time :

Sep

Flowering time :

Feb

Seed mass max:

0.00188 g

Seed mass mean:

0.001228889 g

Seed mass min:

7e-04 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Lawsonia inermis has 3 reported plant parts identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, fruit, seed.

Leaf

1. Infection and drug resistance
2. Pharmacognosy research
3. Molecular and cellular biochemistry
4. Indian journal of experimental biology
5. Biomolecules

Fruit

1. International journal of food sciences and nutrition
2. Toxicology and industrial health

Seed

1. Indian journal of experimental biology
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Chemicals

Lawsonia inermis has 101 reported phytochemicals identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Lawsone, Flavonoids, Tannins, Saponins, Gallic acid.

Lawsone

1. Dr. Duke
2. Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry
3. Pharmacognosy research
4. Contact dermatitis
5. Drug design, development and therapy

Flavonoids

1. Frontiers in veterinary science
2. Nutrients
3. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
4. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
5. Medicinal chemistry (Shariqah (United Arab Emirates))

Tannins

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in veterinary science
3. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
4. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
5. Medicinal chemistry (Shariqah (United Arab Emirates))

Saponins

1. Frontiers in veterinary science
2. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
3. Medicinal chemistry (Shariqah (United Arab Emirates))
4. Journal of basic microbiology

Gallic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Toxicology and industrial health
3. PeerJ

Glycosides

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
2. Medicinal chemistry (Shariqah (United Arab Emirates))
3. Journal of basic microbiology

Steroids

1. Frontiers in veterinary science
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
3. Medicinal chemistry (Shariqah (United Arab Emirates))

luteolin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics
3. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters

quercetin

1. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
3. PeerJ

CATECHIN

1. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
2. PeerJ

Activities

Lawsonia inermis has 279 reported activities identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Analgesic, Antimicrobial, Anticancer.

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Advanced biomedical research
3. Current drug targets
4. Journal de mycologie medicale
5. PeerJ

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Heliyon
3. Current drug targets
4. Drug design, development and therapy
5. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
3. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
4. Journal de mycologie medicale
5. Pharmacology

Antimicrobial

1. Heliyon
2. Drug design, development and therapy
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. PeerJ
5. Journal of biomaterials science. Polymer edition

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current drug targets
3. Journal de mycologie medicale
4. PeerJ

Antifungal

1. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
2. Saudi journal of biological sciences
3. PeerJ
4. Frontiers in pharmacology

Hypoglycemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
3. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
4. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Drug design, development and therapy
3. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology

Anthelmintic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology

Antihemorrhagic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal de mycologie medicale

Conditions

Lawsonia inermis has 87 reported investigations on conditions identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include wound healing, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, analgesic, cancer, gastrointestinal diseases.

Wound healing

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. International journal of biological macromolecules
3. Scientific reports

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Iranian journal of microbiology
2. Current microbiology

Analgesic

1. Journal de mycologie medicale
2. Pharmacology

Cancer

1. Drug design, development and therapy
2. PeerJ

Gastrointestinal diseases

1. Indian journal of pharmacology
2. Nutrients

Malaria

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Oxidative stress

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
2. Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis Society

Skin cancer

1. Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry
2. ACS applied materials & interfaces

Ulcers

1. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Aeromonas hydrophila

1. Current microbiology

Preparations

Lawsonia inermis has 48 reported preparations identified across 18 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include aqueous extracts, aqueous extract, crude extracts, extracts, leaf extracts.

Aqueous extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis Society
3. Journal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology

Aqueous extract

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
2. ACS applied materials & interfaces

Crude extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Journal of toxicology

Extracts

1. Pharmaceutics
2. Tropical biomedicine

Leaf extracts

1. Japanese journal of medical science & biology
2. The Indian journal of medical research

Methanolic extracts

1. Biomolecules
2. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Chcl3 (70%)/ meoh (30%) extract

1. Medicinal chemistry (Shariqah (United Arab Emirates))

Hydroalcoholic extract

1. Advanced biomedical research

L. inermis extract

1. Metabolic brain disease

Lawsonia inermis extract

1. Molecular and cellular biochemistry