Liquorice seeds Licorice Glycyrrhiza glabra seeds

LATIN NAME: Glycyrrhiza glabra

COMMON NAME: Liquorice

The liquorice raises its loose spikes of the small, pea-like, blue-violet flowers above the pinnate leaves, and the whole plant stands in the bushy, leafy clumps. The upright, bushy, perennial herb carries the pinnate leaves with the many oval, paired leaflets and the loose, axillary spikes of the small, pea-like, blue-violet or pale-blue flowers through the summer, one of the fine, bright sights of the herb patch, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, flattened, brownish seed pods. The sweet roots have a very long record in the old practice and the old confectionery of the warm lands, and the plant is a fine, historic presence of the herb patch. It is a plant of the open, sunny, deep, sandy, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The liquorice is a historic subject of the plant science, and the sweet roots keep showing up in the work on the legume herbs. The chemistry of the long, sweet, yellow roots, which carry the fine, sweet compounds of the old practice, has been studied closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the legume herbs, the sweet roots and the members of the pea family. The pinnate leaves and the bushy habit have also made it a fine study plant, and the liquorice is a regular subject of the work on the sweet roots of the warm world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The liquorice is a fine, bright plant of the herb patch and the study collection. The loose, axillary spikes of the small, pea-like, blue-violet or pale-blue flowers open through the summer, one of the fine, bright sights of the herb patch, drawing the bees, and the long, sweet roots have a very long record in the old practice and the old confectionery of the warm lands, the sweet extract coming to the candies, the pastilles and the drinks of the old shops. It is one of the fine choices for the herb patch, the deep bed and the study collection, and it has been written about in the botanical and the culinary papers for the sweet roots and the very long history. It is a fine, bright plant of the open, sunny, deep, sandy, well-drained garden.

Give the young plants the deep, sandy bed, and the sweet roots will come in the years to come.

To grow the liquorice from seed, sow the small, brown seeds just below the surface of the tray of fine, sandy soil, keep the tray in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set the young plants out in the open ground. The seedlings show themselves within a couple of weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun and the deep, sandy, well-drained ground, the sweet roots will come in the years to come.

Synonyms: Glycyrrhiza glandulifera, Lacris, Licorice, Licourice, Liquorice, Lycorys, Reglisse, Sweet Root

The root raw or dried is used as a flavouring. It is the source of liquorice powder that is extracted and used as a sweetener in sweets, baked goods, ice cream, soft drinks etc, it is also used medicinally. A sweet and delicious flavour, but the root is very fibrous. The root contains glycyrrhizin, a substance that is 50 times sweeter than sucrose. The dried root is often used for chewing, it is excellent for teething children and also as a tooth cleaner. A tea made from the roots is an excellent thirst quencher. The powdered root is also used as a sweetener in other herb teas. The leaves are used as a tea substitute in Mongolia.

Liquorice his one of the most commonly used herbs in Western herbal medicine and has a very long history of use, both as a medicine and also as a flavouring to disguise the unpleasant flavour of other medications.
It is a very sweet, moist, soothing herb that detoxifies and protects the liver and is also powerfully anti-inflammatory, being used in conditions as varied as arthritis and mouth ulcers.
The root is alternative, antispasmodic, demulcent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, laxative, moderately pectoral and tonic.
The root has also been shown to have a hormonal effect similar to the ovarian hormone.
Liquorice root is much used in cough medicines and also in the treatment of catarrhal infections of the urinary tract.
It is taken internally in the treatment of Addison's disease, asthma, bronchitis, coughs, peptic ulcer, arthritis, allergic complaints and following steroidal therapy.
It should be used in moderation and should not be prescribed for pregnant women or people with high blood pressure, kidney disease or taking digoxin-based medication.
Externally, the root is used in the treatment of herpes, eczema and shingles.
The root is harvested in the autumn when 3 – 4 years old and is dried for later use.

The plant yields a substance that is used for etching steel sections in photomicrographic work.
Extracts from the root are used as a foaming agent in beers and fire extinguishers.
A fibre obtained from the roots is used for insulation, wallboard, boxboard etc.
The fibres can be used after the medicinal and flavouring constituents of the root have been removed.

Magical Uses:
Chewing on a liquorice root will make you passionate.
It's also a good practice to use while quitting smoking.
Liquorice is added to love and lust sachets, carried to attract love, and used in spells to ensure fidelity.
Liquorice sticks/roots make useful wands.