Ruta
| Ruta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ruta chalepensis, fringed rue | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Rutaceae |
| Subfamily: | Rutoideae |
| Tribe: | Ruteae[1] |
| Genus: | Ruta L. |
| Species | |
|
8–40 species, including:
| |
Ruta, (commonly known as rue), is a genus of strongly scented evergreen subshrubs 20–60 cm tall, in the family Rutaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, Macaronesia and southwest Asia. There are perhaps 8 to 40 species in the genus. The most well-known species is Ruta graveolens, (rue or common rue).
The leaves are bipinnate or tripinnate, with a feathery appearance, and green to strongly glaucous blue-green in colour. The flowers are yellow, with 4–5 petals, about 1 cm diameter, and borne in cymes. The fruit is a 4–5 lobed capsule, containing numerous seeds.
Medicinal uses
Extracts from rue have been used to treat eyestrain, sore eyes, and as insect repellent.[2] Rue has been used internally as an antispasmodic, as a treatment for menstrual problems, as an abortifacient, and as a sedative.[3] Ruta graveolens and Ruta chalepensis are often confused in scientific literature. .
Precautions
Caution should be taken with using rue topically. Applied to the skin with sun exposure, the oil and leaves can cause blistering.[4] Some people are much more sensitive than others.
References
- ↑ Takhtajan, Armen (2009). Flowering Plants (2 ed.). Springer. p. 375. ISBN 978-1-4020-9608-2.
- ↑ J. G. Vaughan; P. A. Judd (2006). The Oxford Book of Health Foods. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280680-2.
- ↑ J. G. Vaughan; P. A. Judd (2003). The Oxford Book of Health Foods. Oxford University Press. p. 137. ISBN 0-19-850459-4.
- ↑ Kimberly Eickhorst, Vincent DeLeo & Joan Csaposs (2007). "Rue the herb: Ruta graveolens-associated phytophototoxicity". Dermatitis 18 (1): 52–55. doi:10.2310/6620.2007.06033. PMID 17303046.