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Lawsonia inermis L.

Synonym	:	Alcanna spinosa (L.) Gaertn.
Family	:	Lythraceae
Local name	:	English - Henna plant, Camphire Malayalam - Mailanchi, Mylanchi
Flowering and fruiting period	:	December-May
Distribution	:	Central Asia and India
Distribution in Kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Grown as hedge plant
Endemic/Exotic	:	Exotic
Uses	:	The plant has antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, anticancer, antidiabetic, tuberculostatic, antiinflammatory, antifertility and wound healing properties.
Key Botanical Characters:  Woody shrubs; bark ashy grey or brown, smooth, branchlets ending in spines. Leaves elliptic or oblong to oblanceolate, base attenuate, apex acute or rounded, subsessile. Flowers in terminal cymose panicles; Flowers sweet-scented, creamy white, 4-merous. Calyx tube 2 mm long, cupular; lobes 4; Petals 4, 3-4 mm long, orbicular or obovate. Stamens 8; filaments 4-5 mm long, inflexed in bud. Ovary globose, 4-celled. Fruit purplish green, globose, dehiscing irregularly.