It is found in Palestine , North Africa , Persia , India , and other countries with warm climates, where it is still widely used. The lawsone was identified on a Damascus dark red wool fabric belonging to 2nd century AD. The Bible mentioned about henna under the name of Kofer, rather than for its perfume and for its dye properties. Pline, in 1st century AD, wrote that in all the Mediterranean basin, henna of Ascalon was preferred to henna of Egypt . After the rise of Islam, the culture of henna was extended from India , as far as North Africa, in Sicily and Spain . The Andalusian poetry of the 11th century mentioned about especially body dyeing, for the fingers and the palms of the hands. Nowadays, its employment for the dyeing and the care of hair, spread considerably in the whole world. It is estimated that the total export on a world level must be around 10000 tons per year.
