Glycyrrhiza echinata
| Glycyrrhiza echinata | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Glycyrrhiza echinata (common name: wild liquorice)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow spring or autumn in a greenhouse[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, and grow them on for their first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer when in active growth. Plants are rather slow to grow from seed[2].
Division of the root in spring or autumn. Each division must have at least one growth bud. Autumn divisions can either be replanted immediately or stored in clamps until the spring and then be planted out[1]. It is best to pt up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a cold frame until they are established before planting them out in the spring or summer.
Cultivation: Requires a deep well cultivated fertile moisture-retentive soil for good root production[1]. Prefers a sandy soil with abundant moisture[2]. A slightly alkaline soil produces the best plants[2].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[1].
Cultivated for its medicinal root in S. Europe[3]. Unless seed is required, the plant is usually prevented from flowering so that it puts more energy into producing good quality roots[2].
A very deep-rooted plant, it can be difficult to eradicate once it is established[2].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Range: S. Europe.
Habitat: Muddy places by rivers[4].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked. Very fibrous, it is often boiled to extract the sugars and is a source of Russian and German liquorice[5]. It is used as a confection, a sweetener and medicinally[6][7][8]. A delicious sweet flavour[K].
The dried root is often used for chewing, it is especially useful for teething children and as a tooth cleaner[K].
The root contains glycyrrhizin, a substance that is 50 times sweeter than sugar.
A tea made from the roots is an excellent thirst quencher.
Medicinal: The root is alterative, expectorant and tonic. It is usually mixed with other herbs, partly at least to improve their taste[9].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press, 1980.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.