Latin Name : Glycyrrhiza glabra
Family : Leguminosae
Common Names : Licorice, Sweet wood, Sweetwort, Licorice, Yastimadhu.
Parts used : Dried roots and stolons
Collection : The root is harvested from 3 - 4 years old Licorice plants during autumn.
Distribution : Licorice grows in the sub - tropical and warm temperate regions of the world, chiefly in Mediterranean countries. In India, it is cultivated in some parts of the hilly northern area, Delhi and South India.
Introduction : Organic Licorice is one of the most widely used herb from the ancient medical history of Ayurveda, both as a medicine and also as a flavoring herb to disguise the unpleasant flavor of other medications. It is a very sweet, moist, soothing herb that detoxifies and protects the liver and is also a powerful anti-inflammatory, being used in conditions as varied as arthritis and mouth ulcers. Licorice is one of the most commonly used herbs in Western herbal medicine.
Description : Glycyrrhiza is a hardy herb or undershrub, usually of 2 m height. It is tall, erect perennial plant with light, gracefully-spreading pinnate foliage and dark green lanceolate leaflets that hang down at nightand violet to lavender color flower. The roots are brown, long and cylindrical.
History : The first significant report of the medicinal use of Glycyrrhiza comes from the Greeks, who recommended it for the treatment of gastric and peptic ulcers. Later, in Arab physicians used Licorice to relieve coughs and side effects associated with laxatives. Licorice producers in Asia and Europe use the extract for the treatment of psoriasis, a skin disease. Other uses of the plant include the treatment of sex-hormone imbalances and menopausal symptoms in women.
