Route graveolens L. is a small shrub belonging to the Rutaceae family. It is found in stony places, bushes, dry soils or gardens and grows spontaneously or cultivated.
It is native to the Mediterranean (North Africa and southern Europe) and Asia, although it is also cultivated in other regions of Europe and America, its distribution being quite cosmopolitan. Depending on the region, it has different denominations, being known as rue, common rue, besaca, heavy-smelling rue, garden rue, bitter, arruda.
Regarding its properties, rue is credited with being antiparasitic, antispasmodic, rubefacient, sudorific, hypotensive, allelopathic, sedative, cytotoxic, vasoprotective and venotonic. Its most used parts are the leaves, stems and flowers.
Source: HernandoJoseAJ [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
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It is a hardy perennial shrubby species that measures from 50 to 100 cm in height, with pivoting roots, woody and erect cylindrical stems. Its structure is woody at the base and its upper branches are herbaceous.
In these plants the leaves are inserted in the stem at different levels and in a solitary way, which indicates that they are alternate. They are bluish-green in color and their lateral portions are elongated, while the terminal portion is oval..
In the leaves are the translucent glands with essential oil, which emit the strong smell that characterizes this species.
Rue has yellow or yellow-green flowers that are 8 to 10 mm in diameter. They are grouped in umbels, which means that they are inserted at the same point on its axis, resembling the rods of an umbrella. They make their appearance between spring and summer.
As for its central flower, it is formed by 5 petals and 5 sepals, while the others by 4 petals and 4 sepals, all the sepals are concave and toothed..
They are round capsule type 7 to 9 cm wide and contain black kidney-shaped seeds.
The Route graveolens L., is also known as ruda, ruda hortense (Spanish), arruda (Portuguese), herb of grace or Common rue (English), rue or péganion or herbe de grâce (French), ruta, rua or aruga amara (Italian) , raute (German).
The taxonomic classification for this species is as follows:
Kingdom: Plantae.
Phylum: Tracheophyta.
Class: Magnoliopsida.
Order: Sapindales.
Rutaceae family.
Gender: Route.
Species: Route graveolens L.
Plants of this species can be found in the wild or cultivated. Wild rue thrives in stony areas, dry, sunny and arid places, bushes, in abandoned agricultural crops, on roadsides and in pastures. The cultivated rue can be raised in orchards or gardens, at altitudes between 1,500 and 2,400 meters above sea level..
This species has a cosmopolitan distribution, and is reported in the following places:
Greece, Albania, Balearic Islands, Bulgaria, France, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Crimea, Georgia, Austria, Corsica, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Romania , Canary Islands, Algeria, Central Europe Russia, Taiwan, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, South Africa, China, Burma, Nepal, USA and Canada.
To Route graveolens L., is attributed antispasmodic, sudorific, antiparasitic, rubefacient, hypotensive, allelopathic, sedative, cytotoxic, diuretic, emmenagogue, antiseptic, vermifuge, vasoprotective and venotonic properties. In addition to having insecticidal, repellent, nematicidal and fungicidal properties.
Thanks to its properties, it is used as a medicinal plant to calm the nerves, relieve menstrual cramps, calm hysteria, digestive discomfort, vertigo, headaches, eliminate parasites present in the body, to treat circulation problems, as well as in external use to treat vitiligo, scabies, earache or rheumatism, among other diseases.
Despite its great utility, most of the studies carried out with this plant coincide in taking care with the dose used of the plant, since it exceeds the recommended values, it can cause intoxication or produce headache, stomach pain, diarrhea. , vomiting, miscarriage, bleeding, and skin lesions such as phototoxic burns.
However, this plant is also used in the agricultural field due to its insecticidal and repellent properties, in the management of pests such as grasshoppers, ants, cutting insects and aphids. Also as a nematicide, fungicide and natural soil disinfectant.
There are several components, among which are: rutinol, quercitol, malic acid, dulcitol, pinene, cineol, salicylic acid, limonene, furocoumarin and methyl salicylate.
The needs or care of Route graveolens L. are basic, however the following must be taken into account:
This species does not tolerate excessively low temperatures, since it develops better in areas with warm climates. It grows in temperatures between 5 and 58 ° C.
It is important that it receives enough natural light, but without being directly, since excess sun could burn its leaves and stems.
The gravelly or stony soils, well drained, dry, limestone or siliceous and light are the most recommended for its good development, since in the presence of these, the plant produces more and healthier flowers..
Likewise, it is pertinent to bear in mind that this plant does not tolerate compact soils so it is necessary that they are well drained. Sometimes, a padding is done in order to keep the soil moisture.
The following conditions are recommended:
- In a vase or pot: use a mixture of substrate with perlite or similar, which may be 30 or 40% clay.
- In the garden: neutral or alkaline pH. A 50 cm x 50 cm planting hole must be made, a 5 cm layer of fine gravel or similar should be placed, and then finished filling with the substrate mixture.
Sometimes organic or natural compost can be added, from the beginning of spring to the end of summer.
You can use liquid fertilizers (especially for plants in vases or pots) as well as granular or powder fertilizers.
Regarding the use of fertilizer, it is indicated to apply it once a month in spring and summer.
It should be noted that there are cases of fertilization applying manure or compost, 2 bags of potassium sulfate and 3 bags of triple calcium superphosphate per hectare. This after the sowing has been carried out.
The best thing to do for this plant is to water it twice a week in moderation, without leaving it exposed to drought..
These tasks consist of protecting the crop by eliminating or reducing weeds, through weeding and hilling..
This should be done during the winter and no more than 10 cm from the ground. This helps to stimulate the compact and renewing growth of the plant and prevents an exaggerated elongation of the plant. The usual thing is to prune every two years, after flowering.
In many gardens, they tend to trim the plant in different ways for decoration.
It is important to bear in mind that the collection will also depend on the part of the plant that is required to be used..
Rue is richer in active ingredients before flowering, when flower buds have formed but their flowers have not opened. This is the right time to collect its leaves and stems, since its components are concentrated in the sap.
After collecting the leaves, it is necessary to leave them in a cool place and then store them in dry containers in the shade. The flowers should be collected at the beginning of flowering, in the bud stage. The harvest is cut at 12 or 15 cm from the ground.
Rue, despite being a resistant plant, the following diseases can occur in its cultivation:
Fungus Cladosporium sp.
This disease is characterized by the drying of the terminal shoots and areas along the stem, these symptoms appear light brown.
It is pertinent to eliminate all the shoots affected by this fungus, control the growth of the weeds, use planting distances and eliminate harvest residues. There are reports that indicate the use of protectant at the beginning of the disease, to reduce the damage.
Fungus Phoma sp.
This fungus mainly attacks young leaves and shoots, causing dark spots with irregular light yellow edges. Damages such as descending necrotization and the appearance of black dots (structures of the fungus) can also be found on the branches..
Ideally, prune the affected branches and shoots, as well as plant the healthy material. The live barrier technique is widely used for control, which reduces the risk of this fungus attack..
There are also reports of leaf blight attack by the fungus Phoma sp. and ash caused by the fungus Oidium sp.
In the case of Oidium sp., its control can be carried out with applications based on sulfur products, on cool days and thus avoid burning and more serious damage to the leaf blade of the plant.
It is important to note that, in addition to diseases caused by these fungi, the species Route graveolens L., is also attacked by pests such as whiteflies, mites and defoliators, almost always occurring when there is lack of irrigation.
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