Rue, also called Wynruit in Afrikaans, Lengana in Tswana and Mohlonyane in Sotho, is a small, hardy, evergreen shrub. It bears small, yellow, waxy flowers and has attractive pale green-blue leaves with an unusual musky scent.
Rue is well known for its symbolic meaning of regret and it has sometimes been called "herb-of-grace" in literary works.
The plant has a long history of use in traditional and herbal medicine, particularly to stimulate menstruation and as an abortifacient.
This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
Toxicology. Rue should only be taken with extreme caution. Large doses can cause violent gastric pain, vomiting, and systemic complications, including death.
