Licorice bush

see under licorice. Glycyrrhiza glabra is a plant belonging to the papilionaceous family that can grow up to 1 m high.

The yellow, woody to finger-thick roots sprout runners several meters long. The unpeeled, dried roots and their runners(Liquiritiae radix - licorice root) are used for various medicinal preparations to produce "licorice juice" (Liquiritiae succus). This is incorporated into the globally popular licorice confectionery. The pale purple flowers grow in clusters in the leaf axils. The brownish seeds develop in bare pods. Origin: Mediterranean region, western Asia; cultivated in European countries.

Licorice root extracts contain: 2-15% glycyrrhetin (acid), as well as a number of flavonoids, phytosterols and coumarins. They are used medicinally as expectorants.