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Wild Licoriceglabra
lepidota uralensis Wild licorice, Glycyrrhiza lepidota (Nutt.) Pursh, British spelling, "licourice", is commonly called American licorice. It has an upright habit, growing to 3 feet. It is found on North American rangeland in moist locations. Although it will grow in heavy soil it prefers sandy soil. It has long tough brown roots which are said to be sweet and were used as food and for medicinal purposes by Native Americans. It is not sweet from sugar but from Glycyrrhizin, the acid ammonium salt of nitrogenous tri-basic acid, glycyrrhizic acid. Glycyrrhizin may increase blood pressure. Wild licorice is grazed by cattle, but not preferred and will increase under grazing as competing plants are grazed off. It has light green to white flowers in the spring which ripen in the fall to clusters of burs which contain pods of small bean like seeds. It can be used as a pioneer species to revegitate bare or disturbed ground and is often the first species to invade a receding alkali flat. There is a market for wild licorice root both for medicinal uses and flavouring and sweetening of tobacco products External links * University of Saskatchewan
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