E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Henna.
The Persian ladies tinge the tips of their fingers with henna to make them a reddish-yellow.
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“The leaf of the henna-plant resembles that of the myrtle. The blossom has a powerful fragrance; it grows like a feather about 18 inches long, forming a cluster of small yellow flowers.”—Baker: Nile Tribes, Abyssinia, chap. i. p. 3.
