Rue (Ruta graveolens) or herb of grace is a poisonous, perennial evergreen herb or sub shrub of the family Rutaceae, with erect, little-branched stems, which are often woody at the base. Its leaves, which are alternate, smooth, grey-green in colour, gland-dotted and two or three times pinnately divided with rectangular segments, were formerly used as a flavouring and in medicine. The flowers are yellowish-green in colour, glandular and arranged in terminal cymes. The flowers have four petals with undulate margins. The fruit is a capsule with black coloured, crescent-shaped seeds. Rue was believed a defence against witchcraft, and signified repentance and grace (hence its alternative name of herb of grace). Rue has been recommended as a cat repellent since the Roman times, cats detest intensely the smell of crushed rue leaves. Research Rue
Abbreviations
Nature
Research Rue