Ruta graveolens.
Afrikaans: Wynruit
English : Herb of grace. Rue. You will rue the day you need it and you don’t
have it.
IsiXhosa:
Description and diagnostic features
It is a woody perennial herb. The smooth leaves are divided into little round lobes.
It is very aromatic. Clusters of small flowers are born at the end of the shoots.
The little flowers are yellow with four petals each.
Part used
Leaves and stem tips.
Uses
- It can be used on purpose to open the cervix when childbirth is being hindered by
the cervix not opening after onset of contractions. Suck one little leaflet on
the tongue.
- It also increases blood circulation to an area of the body where it is locally applied.
The skin of people who are lying unmoving in bed can develop bed sores. It can
be remedied in a few days by straying a tea made from rue leaves onto the sores when
turning the bedbound people. If a leaflet is sucked at bedtime, it can help relax
you and assist you faling asleep as well as reducing high blood pressure and increasing
circulation to your hands and feet.
- When twisting an ankle or pulling a hamstring the body reacts by trying to splint
the area by tightening the tendons to protect further damage. Unfortunately that
reduces the blood circulation and healing. If you apply rue tea to the area that
is hurt it will relax it and improve the circulation. Because it is now more prone
to being hurt again it is your responsibility to support it with a cast or splint
and immobilising it by wrapping it with soft bandages.
- One of the reasons for high blood pressure is too much tension in the artery walls
causing the continued contraction of the artery and the diameter of the blood vessels
are narrowed letting through less blood. When the blood pressure goes too high from
stress, a headache can develop. If this pressure headache goes too high it can cause
a blood vessel to rupture in the brain, causing a stroke and paralysis. The pressure
can easily be relaxed by placing one compound leaf in a cup of boiling water and
slowly sipping it. Normally this relaxation can last up to a week.
Warning
Because it allows all tendons to relax it allows the cervix in pregnant women to
open and they can abort.
If the dosage for reducing blood pressure is overdone the client can faint from low
blood pressure.
Habitat
It grows in gardens all over the country as it is a imported herb from Europe that
has remained popular. It is frost sensitive.
Propagation
It grows easily from seed and little plants are found next to the older plants if
the area is regularly watered.