THE TECHNOLOGIST. [Oct. 1, 1864. 



144 SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 



is the inermis. Roxburgh, in his 'Flora Indica,' Tinder the head of 

 " L. inermis, Willd.," writes as follows: — "Flowers small, greenish 

 yellow, very fragrant? Further on, he says : — " The flowers are 

 remarkably fragrant, whether fresh or dry, and are particularly grateful 

 at a distance. The species called spinosa is nothing more, I imagine, 

 than the same plant growing on a dry, sterile soil ; at least, in such 

 soils I have often found it very thorny, the branchlets being then 

 short and rigid, with sharp, thorny points." Don, under the head 

 of Lawsonia alba, gives as synonymes L. inermis and L. spinosa. He 

 also says : — " Young trees unarmed, old trees having the branchlets 

 hardened into spines." He says : — "It is a native of the East 

 Indies, the Levant, and North Africa." I have just been exa- 

 mining a young plant in my garden. It consists of long, thin 

 branches, with small branches all over them. On the latter are 

 branchlets. On touching the points of the branchlets, the young 

 leaves at the extremity fall off very easily, leaving a bare point, rather 

 hard and sharp. Some of these branchlets are about half an inch long, 

 and wheu they become old and the leaves fall off they are quite hard 

 and rigid, and resemble spines more than anything else. This, I should 

 say, is the origin of the different specific names this plant bears. I have 

 some of the fresh flowers before me. The petals are of a dirty white, 

 and emit a strong fragrance, which is more grassy than flowery. The 

 natives in Lucknow are very fond of it, but I should not think that it 

 would be admired by Europeans. I am not aware that the otto from the 

 petals is extracted in any other part of India than Lucknow. The leaves 

 of the Lawsonia inermis (" Henna-mehudee ") are here also used for 

 colouring red the nails of fingers and toes, and the palms and soles. 

 Mr. Paul Madinier asked for some information regarding this plant. 

 This contribution may be acceptable to him. 



E. Bonavia, M.D. 

 Lucknow, 28th June, 1864. 



