Rutaceae
Ruta

Ruta graveolens L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 383 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is N. Balkan Peninsula to Krym. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is has environmental uses and social uses, as a poison and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 600 - 3000 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba, arbusto
[CPLC]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
ruda, ruda común, ruda de Castilla, ruda de guala, ruda de huerta, ruda silvestre
[UNAL]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 600 - 3000 m.
Distribution
Cultivated in Colombia.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
[UPB]

Rutaceae, J.O. Kokwaro (University of Nairobi). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1982

Morphology General Habit
Glabrous evergreen semi-shrub 35–100 cm.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, pinnately compound, 6–11 cm. long, ultimate segments obovate, glaucous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in terminal corymbs; petals 4–5, dull yellow; stamens 8 or 10.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a 4–5-locular capsule.
Distribution
‘Rue’ is a native of S. Europe.
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 600–3000 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Putumayo, Santander, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb, Shrub.
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Food Food Additives
Used to aromatize alcoholic beverages (Florez-Cárdenas et al. 2010).
Use Materials
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Materials Unspecified Materials Chemicals
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Medicines Digestive System Disorders
Used in liquid medicines (Florez-Cárdenas et al. 2010). Flowers - Used in liquid medicines (Lagos-López 2007). Leaves - Used in liquid medicines (Lagos-López 2007).
Use Medicines Genitourinary System Disorders
Leaves - Used in liquid medicines to alleviate uterine pain (Lagos-López 2007). Flowers - Used in liquid medicines to alleviate pelvic pain (Lagos-López 2007).
Use Medicines Nervous System Disorders
Used in the treatment of nervous breakdowns, as a tranquiliser and as a relaxant (Florez-Cárdenas et al. 2010).
Use Medicines Pain
Used in liquid medicines (Florez-Cárdenas et al. 2010).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

Spanish
Ruda de huerta, ruda.
english
rue
unknown
ruda macho (Paraguay)

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/