Taxon:  Peganum harmala L.



Summary
Genus:
Peganum
Family:
Nitrariaceae
Nomen number:
27098
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 1:444.  1753
Verified:
05/20/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
12 (4  active, 1  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)
Fruit

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
  4. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  5. Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
  6. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  7. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  8. Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
  9. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  10. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  11. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  12. Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
  13. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  14. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
  15. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  16. Middleditch, B. S. & A. M. Amer. 1991. Kuwaiti plants: distribution, traditional medicine, phytochemistry,... economic value (Studies in Plant Science 2).
  17. Migahid, A. M. 1988-1990. Flora of Saudi Arabia, ed. 3.
  18. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  19. Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
  20. Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
  21. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
  22. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  23. Rollins, R. C. & I. A. Al-Shehbaz. 1986. Weeds of south-west Asia in North America with special reference to the Cruciferae. Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh 89B:298.
  24. Seed Regulatory and Testing Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.D.A. State noxious-weed seed requirements recognized in the administration of the Federal Seed Act (updated annually).
  25. Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
  26. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  27. Watson, J. F. 1868. Index to the native and scientific names of Indian and other eastern economic plants and products
  28. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishAfrican-rue  1Seed Regulatory and Testing Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.D.A. State noxious-weed seed requirements recognized in the administration of the Federal Seed Act (updated annually).
EnglishSyrian-rue  1Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
Englishwild rue  1Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Frenchrue sauvage  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanHarmalkraute  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanSteppenraute  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Indiaharmel  2Watson, J. F. 1868. Index to the native and scientific names of Indian and other eastern economic plants and products
Spanishalharma  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishgamarza  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedishharmelbuske  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt   
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaTunisia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMauritania   
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaKuwait   
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaSaudi Arabia   
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusArmenia  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusAzerbaijan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusGeorgia  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian FederationDagestan Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian Federation-CiscaucasiaCiscaucasia Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChinaXinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu  
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaKazakhstan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaKyrgyzstan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaTajikistan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaTurkmenistan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaUzbekistan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateMongoliaMongolia w. 
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaAfghanistan  Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaCyprus  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaEgyptSinai Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIran  Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIraq  Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIsrael  Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaJordan  Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaLebanon   
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaSyria   
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistan  Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeMoldova  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeRussian Federation-European partEuropean parts.Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeUkraine incl. KrymEuro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeBulgaria  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. SardiniaTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeRomania  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeSerbia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
4Naturalized    natzd. elsewhere 
Native
Africa
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Mauritania
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
  • WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Cyprus, Egypt [Sinai], Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
  • CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation [Dagestan]
  • MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
  • MONGOLIA: Mongolia (w.)
  • CHINA: China [Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu]
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Pakistan
Europe
  • EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part (s.)], Moldova, Ukraine (incl. Krym)
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Bulgaria, Greece, Italy (incl. Sardinia), Romania, Serbia
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain
Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere)

Reference(s)
  1. Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
  2. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  3. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  4. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  5. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  6. Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
  7. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
  8. Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
  9. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  10. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Materialstannin/dyestuff Middleditch, B. S. & A. M. Amer. 1991. Kuwaiti plants: distribution, traditional medicine, phytochemistry,... economic value (Studies in Plant Science 2).
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Weedseed contaminantpotentialKomarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Weedseed contaminantpotentialLazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=27098. Accessed 14 April 2026.