Glycyrrhiza glabra

Plant Characteristics

Habit		herbaceous
Height:	⇕	36 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 36.
Width:	⇔	36 in"in" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 36.
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial, annual
Poisonous:	☠	yes, see text
Bloom:	❀	early summer, mid summer, late summer

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	sun
Features:	✓	flowers, edible
USDA Zones:		7 to 9
Flower features:	❀	blue, purple

Scientific Names

Fabaceae >

Glycyrrhiza >

glabra >

Liquorice (Template:PronEng Template:Respell), also licorice, is the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra from which a sweet flavour can be extracted. The liquorice plant is a legume (related to beans and peas), native to southern Europe and parts of Asia. It is not related to Anise, Star Anise or Fennel, which are the source of superficially similar flavouring compounds. It is an herbaceous perennial, growing to 1 m in height, with pinnate leaves about 7–15 centimetres (3–6 in) long, with 9–17 leaflets. The flowers are 0.8–1.2 cm (½–⅓ in) long, purple to pale whitish blue, produced in a loose inflorescence. The fruit is an oblong pod, 2–3 centimetres (1 in) long, containing several seeds. The flavor of liquorice comes mainly from a sweet-tasting compound called anethole ("trans"-1-methoxy-4-(prop-1-enyl)benzene), an aromatic, unsaturated ether compound also found in anise, fennel, and other herbs. Additional sweetness in liquorice comes from glycyrrhizin, a compound sweeter than sugar.

Excessive consumption of liquorice or liquorice candy is known to be toxic to the liver and cardiovascular system, and may produce hypertension and oedema. The European Commission 2008 report suggested that “people should not consume any more than 100mg of glycyrrhizic acid a day, for it can raise blood pressure or cause muscle weakness, chronic fatigue, headaches or swelling, and lower testosterone levels in men.”

Read about Glycyrrhiza glabra in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Glycyrrhiza glabra, Linn. Height 2-3 ft.: leaflets ovate, subretuse, subglutinous beneath, 4-8 pairs, with an odd one: spikes peduncled, shorter than the leaves; flowers closely clustered, the calyx glandular pubescent: pods glabrous, 3-4- seeded. Summer and autumn.—Seeds in pods are listed by a few dealers with miscellaneous agricultural seeds. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

Liquorice grows best in deep, fertile, well-drained soils, with full sun, and is harvested in the autumn, two to three years after planting.

Propagation

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Pests and diseases

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Glycyrrhiza glabra. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
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