Liquorice
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Botanical Name |
Glycyrrhiza glabra |
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Family |
Fabaceae /Leguminoseae |
|
Description |
Perennial legume up to 90cm/3ft Roots soft fibrous Flowers: Blue-ish June – July |
|
Native to |
Mediterranean, Asia |
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Introduced to |
Europe in 15th century |
|
Parts used |
Root |
|
Cultivation |
Deep humus well drained soil |
|
Harvesting |
Late autumn |
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Preserving |
Dry |
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Classification |
Bitter |
|
Actions |
Anti-catarrhal, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, demulcent, emmenagogue, expectorant, laxative |
|
Constituents |
Saponins-beta sitosterol, stigmasterol asparagines, oestrogenic substances Triterpene of the oleanane type –glycyrrhizin, and its aglycone glycyrrhetic acid, liquiritic acid, glycyrrhetol, glabrolife, isoglabrolide, licoric acid, phytosterols Flavonoids –glabridin, liquiritigenin, liquiritin, rhamnoliquiritin, licuraside, licochalcines A and B, echinatin, licoflavonol, licoisoflavones A and B, licoisoflavanone, formononetin, glabrol, glabrene, glabrone, glyzarin, kumatakenin, hispaglabridin A and B, shinpterocarpin, 1-methoxphaseollin, quercitin, apigenin Coumarins –liqcoumarin, umbelliferone, herniarin, glabrocoumarones A and B, glycyrin Polysaccharides –glucans, galactans –glycyrrhizan GA and glycoproteins Volatile oil; Terpenes –acetol, heranol, 2 acetyl furan, thujone, fenchone, linalool, furfuryl alcohol, benzaldehyde Fixed oils and resin: saturated fatty acids –hexanoic, octanoic, nonanoic, palmitic. Unsaturated fatty acids –linoleic, linolenic Alkaloids; Tryptamine alkaloids –indole. Starch, sugars-glucose, sucrose, amino acids |
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Combines with |
Comfrey, elecampane, horehound white, marshmallow, meadowsweet |
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Culinary Uses |
Boiled roots |
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Skin |
Eczema |
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Respiratory |
Ulcers, chronic cough, bronchitis |
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Genito-urinary |
Post-menopausal women, fertility |
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Other Uses |
Shoe polish |
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Dosage |
1-4g dried powdered root 3xs a day |
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Other Notes |
Used for over 3000 years It has been used to make magic wands The botanical name is derived from “glukus” meaning sweet and “riza” meaning root |