Liquorice root

LATIN NAME: Glycyrrhiza glabra

COMMON NAME: Liquorice

Few roots are as sweet as the liquorice root, and few plants have been dug for their roots for as long. The liquorice grows as a tall, much-branched perennial herb of the pea family, reaching up to a metre and a half or more, with the fine, pinnate leaves of the many small, oval leaflets and, through the summer, the small, blue-violet or pale-purple, pea-like flowers carried in the upright spikes, followed by the small, flat pods of the few hard seeds. Beneath the ground it spreads a long, thick, woody rootstock, and it is the root that has been dug, dried and used for a very long time. It is a species of the flowering herb in the pea family, native to the warm, open ground of the old world, and it is known as the liquorice.

The liquorice belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae, and it is a tall, much-branched perennial herb of the warm, open ground of the old world. Its long, thick, sweet rootstock is the part that has made the plant famous. It is known as the liquorice, and it is treasured for its sweet root.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The liquorice root has a long history in the traditional medicine and the flavouring of the old world, and that history has been written about in the pharmaceutical and botanical papers. The sweet root has been studied for its chemistry and its strong, characteristic taste, and the plant has been looked at for its place in the traditional practice of the region. The liquorice is best understood as a traditional flavouring and herb of the old world, and its chemistry continues to be a subject of the study. The plant has also been studied in the cultivation for its long, thick rootstock and its tough ways. For a root with such a long and sweet story, the liquorice has a rich and continuing record of study.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

For the old world, the liquorice is a plant of a long and sweet history. Its root has been dug and used for the flavouring and the traditional practice for a very long time, and the familiar, chewy black sweet of the same name is still made from it. The small, pea-like flowers feed the bees of the summer, and the fine, pinnate leaves give a full, leafy look to the herb bed. The plant is best understood as a traditional flavouring and herb, and its sweet root remains a familiar of the old practice. For anyone who wants a plant with a long story, the liquorice is a rewarding, easy herb. Soak the hard seeds in a cup of warm water for a day, then sow them at a shallow depth in pots of sandy, free-draining soil, keep the pots in a warm, bright, open spot and water them sparingly, and the first sturdy shoots will be along before long.

Uses: Medicinal. Edible