What is "ruta graveolens"

Rue \Rue\, n. [F. rue, L. ruta, akin to Gr. ?; cf. AS. r?de.]

1. (Bot.) A perennial suffrutescent plant ( Ruta graveolens), having a strong, heavy odor and a bitter taste; herb of grace. It is used in medicine.

   Then purged with euphrasy and rue The visual nerve, for he had much to see.
   --Milton.

   They [the exorcists] are to try the devil by holy water, incense, sulphur, rue, which from thence, as we suppose, came to be called herb of grace.
   --Jer. Taylor.

2. Fig.: Bitterness; disappointment; grief; regret.

   Goat's rue. See under Goat.

   Rue anemone, a pretty springtime flower ( Thalictrum anemonides) common in the United States.

   Wall rue, a little fern ( Asplenium Ruta-muraria) common on walls in Europe.

Rutin \Ru"tin\ (r[udd]"t[i^]n), n. (Chem.) A glucoside resembling, but distinct from, quercitrin. Rutin is found in the leaves of the rue ( Ruta graveolens) and other plants, and obtained as a bitter yellow crystalline substance which yields quercitin on decomposition.

Ruta graveolens, commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of Ruta grown as an ornamental plant and as an herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is now grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluish leaves, and sometimes for its tolerance of hot and dry soil conditions. It is also cultivated as a medicinal herb, as a condiment, and to a lesser extent as an insect repellent.