| Rue is not poisonous. Infuse the seed with lovage and mint to make a marinade for partridge. The leaves have a bitter taste, but very small amounts can be added to cream cheese, egg and fish dishes. Mix with damson plums and wine for a delicious meat sauce. Medicinally a tea made from the leaves is used to treat nervous headache, dizziness, palpitations, anxiety problems and high blood pressure. Use the tea as an eyewash for tired eyes, and to wash wounds. Traditionally used to bring on suppressed menses. A poultice of fresh leaves alleviates the pain of scorpion bites and jellyfish stings. Avoid use when pregnant. Handling the plant, especially when in bloom, can cause skin irritation. To minimise this risk, wait until the plant has dried out or the sun has gone behind cloud cover: alternatively, wear gloves. I think it would be dangerous to identify a herb just by comparing a sprig of it with a picture in a book. Actually, I don't think you have rue at all, judging by the fact that the person who gave you the cutting mentioned a liqueur/aperitif. I think you've got Wormwood, from which a liqueur called Absinthe was once made. A substance in the plant causes convulsions, and the liqueur recipe has been altered, and the use of Wormword for this purpose banned in many countries for this reason. Both plants have a greenish-grey foliage, and a small piece of each, compared, may look rather similar to the uninitiated. Both plants have insecticidal properties. Wormwood can inhibit growth of plants nearby, and even a spray of wormwood used as a bug repellent can inhibit the growth of plants on which it is used. Wormwood is used internally to treat jaundice, depression, gout, kidney stones, and to dispel intestinal worms. Externally for wounds and skin problems. Use internally only under expert supervision and for short periods of time only. Can cause convulsions. Avoid when pregnant. Both wormwood and rue may cause dermatitis in susceptible people. Do not use ANY herb for any purpose without being 100% sure of its identity, and this identification should be done by an expert if there is the slightest doubt. |
