Common rue - Common rue

An evergreen perennial plant of the Rutaceae family (APG classification: Rutaceae). Native to Southern Europe. Cultivated as an aromatic herb, it was introduced to Japan in the early Meiji period. It is said that the name came to be a corrupted version of the Dutch word wijnruit. The base is small and woody. It grows to about 1 meter in height, with leaves pinnately lobed 2-3 times and long elliptical lobes. In June and July, it produces a cyme at the top of the stem, which blooms with small yellow flowers. The flowers have 5 or 4 petals. The capsule is spherical, with small brown spherical seeds inside. The leaves have a strong smell when crushed, which Westerners like and use as a cooking flavoring, making it a famous herb since ancient times. It is also known for its medicinal properties such as menstrual cycle and spasm control, and it is said that placing the leaves between books will prevent insects from eating them. However, the smell is generally disliked by Japanese people, and it has not been widely used as an herb.

[Hoshikawa Kiyochika October 16, 2020]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ミカン科（APG分類：ミカン科）の常緑多年草。南ヨーロッパ原産。香草として栽培され、明治初年に日本に導入された。オランダ語のビンルートwijnruitが訛(なま)ってヘンルーダとよばれるようになったという。根元は小木状になる。高さ約1メートル、葉は2～3回羽状に裂け、裂片は長楕円(ちょうだえん)形。6～7月に集散花序を茎頂につけ、黄色の小花を開く。小花は5弁または4弁。蒴果(さくか)は球形、中に褐色小球形の種子がある。葉はもむと強いにおいがし、欧米人はこのにおいを好んで、料理の香料に用い、昔から有名なハーブである。また通経、鎮けいなどの薬効も知られ、葉を書物の間に挟めば虫食い予防になるという。しかし日本人一般にはこのにおいは臭みとして嫌われ、ハーブとしても普及していない。

［星川清親　2020年10月16日］

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