RUE (πήγανον, G4379). Luke 11:42 says: “you tithe mint and rue.” At least there is no question here of the tr. being incorrect. The one question that concerns Bible botanists is to which species of rue our Lord referred.

The ordinary rue grown today in herb gardens is Ruta graveolens, the leaves of which are gray-green, and produce a pungent odor. It could be this species, for it did grow in Pal.

It could, however, equally be Ruta chalepensis latifolia, which is similar to the other rue, but has less deeply divided foliage. This species is also found in Pal., growing naturally.