Peganum harmala, ordinarily called harmal Syrian rue, esfand, African rue, or harmel, is an everlasting herb , with a woody underground root-stock, of the family Nitrariaceae, normally developing in saline soils in calm desert and Mediterranean areas.

Peganum harmala has been utilized as a pain relieving, emmenagogue, and abortifacient operator. In a specific area of India the root was applied to slaughter body lice. It is additionally utilized as an anthelmintic (to oust parasitic worms).
Other conditions this plant is claimed to treat include baldness, epilepsy and urinary disorders. The plant has been used for lice, nervousness and sexual problems also . It also is believed to aid patients who have mental illnesses such as depression. There also has been some evidence that medicines made up of the plant can fight the expansion of cancerous tumors.