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Henna (''Lawsonia inermis'', also known as hina, the henna tree, the mignonette tree, and the Egyptian privet)〔 is a flowering plant and the sole species of the ''Lawsonia'' genus. The English name "henna" comes from the Arabic (ALA-LC: ''ḥinnāʾ''; pronounced (:ħɪnˈnæːʔ)) or, colloquially , loosely pronounced as . The name ''henna'' also refers to the dye prepared from the plant and the art of temporary body art (staining) based on those dyes (see also mehndi). Henna has been used since antiquity to dye skin, hair and fingernails, as well as fabrics including silk, wool and leather. The name is used in other skin and hair dyes, such as ''black henna'' and ''neutral henna'', neither of which is derived from the henna plant. Historically, henna was used for cosmetic purposes primarily in Ancient India. It was also found to be used in the Arabian Peninsula, South Asia, Carthage and other parts of North Africa, and the Horn of Africa. Bridal henna nights remain an important custom in many of these areas, particularly among traditional families. ==Description== Henna is a tall shrub or small tree, standing . It is glabrous and multi-branched, with spine-tipped branchlets. The leaves grow opposite each other on the stem. They are glabrous, sub-sessile, elliptical, and lanceolate (long and wider in the middle; average dimensions are 1.5–5.0 cm x 0.5–2 cm or 0.6–2 in x 0.2–0.8 in), acuminate (tapering to a long point), and have depressed veins on the dorsal surface.〔 Henna flowers have four sepals and a calyx tube, with spread lobes. Its petals are obvate, with white or red stamens found in pairs on the rim of the calyx tube. The ovary is four-celled, long, and erect. Henna fruits are small, brownish capsules, in diameter, with 32–49 seeds per fruit, and open irregularly into four splits.〔 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「henna」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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