harmel

It has been added to the lists of the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species for the countries of South Africa, Mexico, France and Ukraine, although it is not reported as having a negative impact in any of these countries. Most Ukrainian and other references consider the plant native to Ukraine. Sources are in disagreement regarding rare collections in coastal Romania, but many consider it introduced. At least 7 occurrences have been registered in South Africa, and none in Mexico (as of 2017). As of 2020 it is included in South African National Biodiversity Institute's Plants of Southern Africa website as an introduced plant to South Africa. One database has it occurring as a non-native in Hungary. In France it is considered a former accidental introduction once uncommonly found on the Côte d'Azur along the Mediterranean coast. It has very rarely been found elsewhere in France in the past. According to the Flora Europaea there is a native population on Corsica, however, according to Tela Botanica it does not occur on the island, either as a native or not. It was first planted in the United States in 1928 in New Mexico by a farmer wanting to manufacture a dye called "Turkish red" from its seeds. From here the plant spread over most of southern New Mexico and the Big Bend region of Texas. …

It grows in dry areas in the United States. It can be considered a halophyte. In Kashmir and Ladakh it is known from elevations of 300–2400 metres (1000' to 7900'), in China 400–3600 metres (1300' to 12,000'), in Turkey 0–1500 metres (0' to 5000'), and in Spain 0–1200 metres (0' to 4000'). In China it grows in slightly saline sands near oases and dry grasslands in desert areas. In Spain it can be found in abandoned fields, rubbish tips, stony slopes, along the verges of roads, ploughed and worked earth, as well as in disturbed, saline scrubland. In Morocco it is said to grow in steppes, arid coasts, dry uncultivated fields and amongst ruins. A study in Morocco found that it could be used as an indicator species for rangeland degraded from agricultural activities, when found in association with certain Artemisia sp., Noaea mucronata and Anabasis aphylla. In Israel it is a common dominant plant along with Anabasis syriaca and Haloxylon scoparium in a low semi-shrubby steppe ecosystem which during dry years is almost devoid of plant cover, growing on saline, loess-derived soils. In rainy times Leontice leontopetalum and Ixiolirion tataricum appear here. It also grows in Israel in semi-steppe shrublands, Mediterranean woodlands and shrublands, and deserts. …

In Iran and neighbouring countries such as Turkey and Azerbaijan, dried capsules from the plant are strung and hung in homes or vehicles to protect against the evil eye. It is widely used for protection against Djinn in Morocco (see Légey "Essai de Folklore marocain", 1926). Esfand (called ''isband'' in Kashmiri) is traditionally burnt in Kashmiri weddings to create an auspicious atmosphere. It is also used on other ceremonial and festive occasions, as well as in households, for its fragrant smoke and to ward off negative energies. Burning esfand seeds is also common in Persian cultures for warding off the evil eye, as in Persian weddings.

In Yemen, the Jewish custom of old was to bleach wheaten flour on Passover, in order to produce a clean and white unleavened bread. This was done by spreading whole wheat kernels upon a floor, and then spreading stratified layers of African rue (Peganum harmala) leaves upon the wheat kernels; a layer of wheat followed by a layer of Wild rue, which process was repeated until all wheat had been covered over with the astringent leaves of this plant. The wheat was left in this state for a few days, until the outer kernels of the wheat were bleached by the astringent vapors emitted by the wild rue. Afterwards, the wheat was taken up and sifted, to rid them of the residue of leaves. …

Rue for the perennial evergreen shrub was first used in 14th century English, deriving from Old French rue (13c.) and the Latin ruta. Espand is derived from Middle Persian spand, which is thought, along with the English word spinach, to be ultimately derived from Proto-Iranian *spanta-, 'holy' (compare Avestan 𐬯𐬞𐬆𐬧𐬙𐬀, spəṇta, 'holy', and Middle Persian spenāg, 'holy'), itself thought to be ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen-.

Common names. It is known by many names across regions and languages—including "African rue" in North America, "harmel" in India and North Africa, "espand" in Persian, and other local names in Pashto, Urdu, Turkish, Chinese, Spanish, French, and ancient Aramaic, reflecting its wide cultural and geographic significance. It is known as اسپند in Persian, which is transliterated as espand, or ispand but may also be pronounced or transliterated as sepand, sipand, sifand, esfand, isfand, aspand, or esphand depending on source or dialect. The Persian word اسپند is also the name of the last month of the year, approximately March, in the traditional Persian calendar. African rue is a common name. Harmel is a name used in India, Algeria, and Morocco. It is known as spilani in Pashto. In Urdu it is known as harmal, ispand, or isband. In Turkish it is known as üzerlik. …