Name: Ruta odorous

Rue odorous (Ruta graveolens L.)

Ruta odorous is a herbaceous perennial plant from the Rutaceae family. Other names: Ruta fragrant.

Description:

Herbaceous perennial with rather elevated, up to 70 cm in length, erect, forming numerous lateral shoots, leafy woody stems at the base. Shoots are gray-green, bearing alternate leaves twice or thrice pinnatisected, up to 8-12 cm in length; leaf lobes are oblong-obovate, rounded at the apex, wedge-shaped narrowed towards the base, with punctate translucent glands. The shoots end with an inflorescence – a corymbose multi-flowered panicle of medium-sized greenish-yellow flowers, traditionally with four helmet-shaped concave, serrated petals along the edges, up to 8 mm in length. Ovary and boll completely dotted with glands. Blossoms in June. Rue is bred in gardens and orchards, runs wild.

Workpiece:

Rue leaves are harvested during flowering and dried in the shade.

Contains active substances:

Leaves contain essential oil, rutin, 0.5-1% furocoumarins, including bergapten, bitter and tannins; recently discovered the alkaloid cocusagin.

Medicinal use:

Rue is used in the form of a tincture for nervous disorders, for spasm of the muscles of the stomach and intestines, and as an anthelmintic. An infusion of the leaves is used for baths for skin diseases. It has toxic properties and causes severe poisoning in case of an overdose. In homeopathic medicine, fresh rue grass collected before flowering is used as a uterine remedy, for articular rheumatism and sciatica. from diarrhoea, fever and uterine bleeding.