Lozoña

[Pierre]

Some lady at church asked me about my colored nails and hair. I told her it's alheña, which she never heard of. So I told her it's Lawsonia. "Lozoña? What's its real name?" she answered. I explained that that's the scientific name, and it's called "alheña" in Spanish and "henna" in English. Her first language is Spanish, but she first heard of henna in English.

[TiaKitty]

There's a brand of henna called Logona, to add to the confusion!

[niky45]

... here in spain, I always called it henna... although for me it was the black thing of temporary tattoos. :p (of course, that's until I discovered about true henna... )

I haven't ever heard the word **alheña** :confused:

[DweamGoiL]

The word alheña is an actual word and the correct noun according to the Real Academia Española, but Lozoña is not. It is most likely a colloquialism from wherever the OP hails from. Calling it henna is an Anglicism, but most likely much more popular than its proper name. I am Spanish West Indian and that is what we know it as, as well.

[Valkyriejae]

Alheña is a spanish word with an arabic root: alheña = al hinna = the henna.
It all comes from the same place, linguistically.

Lozoña doesn't seem to be a colloquialism, it's just the way to spell the word lawsonia as pronounced by an english speaker/understood by a spanish speaker - I think Pierre was just trying to convey that the person didn't recognize the word lawsonia.