any rutaceous plant of the genus Ruta, esp R. graveolens, an aromatic Eurasian shrub with small yellow flowers and evergreen leaves which yield an acrid volatile oil, formerly used medicinally as a narcotic and stimulant
Archaic name: herb of grace. Compare goat's-rue, meadow rue, wall rue
Word origin
C14: from Old French, from Latin rūta, from Greek rhutē