Contents
What is a licorice plant?
Characteristics of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
Common English noun: Licorice
Scientific noun: Glycyrrhiza glabra L.
Family: Pea family – Papilionaceae
Habitat: It comes from the Mediterranean Europe and Asia Minor and it is cultivated in many places, Being naturalized in many humid places, beds of dry rivers, ravines, etc.
Description of licorice
Perennial plant, belonging to the pea family up to 1 ‘ 5 m.
Erect stems, glabrous, ligneous bellow.
Leaves with short petiole, with 17 sticky leaflets.
Axillary flowers, blue or purplish, in clusters, about 1 cm long.
The fruit is a pod, till 2 cm long.
Active principles of licorice
- Sugars: glycyrrhizin, glucose and sucrose
- Flavonoids: licoflavonol, licoricone, glycyrol, glyzarin, formononetin, isoliquiritigenin, glabrol, glabrone
- Saponins
- Tannins
- Betacarotenes
- Amino- acids: asparagine.
- Proteins
- Acids: salicylic, malic, betulinic, glycyrrhetinic, glycyrrizic
- Minerals: Calcium, chromium, cobalt, phosphorus, magnesium potassium, silicon and sodium.
- Vitamins: vitamin C and thiamin
Active parts: The roots
Uses of Licorice
This herb from the legume family is cultivated for its use as:
- Flavoring: The food industry uses the root of this plant to flavor various beverages.
- Medicinal Plant
More information about licorice and other plants.
This article was endorsed by Montserrat Enrich - Journalist specializing in edible wild plants and plant uses.
