Glycyrrhiza lepidota
| Glycyrrhiza lepidota | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Glycyrrhiza lepidota (common name: american 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]. Slightly alkaline conditions produce the best plants[2].
A very deep-rooted plant, it can be difficult to eradicate once it is established[2].
Unless seed is required, the plant is usually prevented from flowering so that it puts more energy into producing good quality roots[2].
Plants are growing very well at Kew[K].
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: N. America - Saskatchewan to British Columbia, south to California and Mexico.
Habitat: Cultivated ground, waste places, roadsides, prairies, gravelly river bottoms and moist mountain draws to 2,100 metres[3]. Usually grows in patches, frequently in heavy clay and saline soils[3].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked[4][5][6][7]. Long, sweet and fleshy[8], when slow roasted they are said to taste like sweet potatoes[9][10]. They can be used as a flavouring in other foods and can also be chewed raw as a masticatory[11][9][3], making an excellent tooth cleaner and also very good for teething children. The root contains 6% glycyrrhizin, a substance that is 50 times sweeter than sugar[9].
The tender young shoots can be eaten raw in the spring[9][12].
Medicinal: American liquorice was widely employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it in the treatment of a range of diseases[12]. All parts of the body are medicinal, but the roots are the most active part. This species has properties similar to other liquorices which are widely used medicinally, though this species is rather neglected in modern literature.
An infusion of the root is used to speed the delivery of the placenta after childbirth, it is also used to treat coughs, diarrhoea, chest pains, fevers in children, stomach aches etc[10][12]. It is also used as a wash or poultice on swellings[12].
The chewed root is retained in the mouth as a treatment for toothache and sore throats[10][12].
The mashed leaves are used as a poultice on sores[10][12].
The leaves have been placed in the shoes to absorb moisture[12].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Very young growth can be poisonous to animals[3].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Davies, Dilys. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Batsford, 1992.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.