Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice, "Supeinkanzo")

Japanese name: スペインカンゾウ
Scientific name: Glycyrrhiza glabra

[Overview]
A perennial 60–90 cm tall.
The rhizome is cylindrical and extends sideways.
The stem has white hairs.
The leaves are alternate and odd-pinnately compound.
There are 9–17 leaflets, elliptic to oblong, with small glandular dots on the underside that make them sticky.
Racemes arise from the leaf axils.
The flowers are pale blue pea-type flowers, with the standard petal longer than the keel and wing petals.
The fruit is an oblong, straight or slightly curved legume 1.5–2 cm long.
It contains 3–4 seeds.

[Uses]
The roots and rhizomes are used medicinally and as a sweetener.
Called licorice, it is also used as an ingredient in confectionery such as salmiakki and in root beer.
Care is needed because taking large amounts over a long period can cause side effects such as raised blood pressure, paralysis and weakness.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by division or from seed.
It prefers sunny, moist, fertile soil.
The roots go deep and the rhizomes also spread sideways, so if you do not want it to spread, make a barrier in the soil or take similar measures.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

[Notes]
It is a different plant from the lycoris (bulbous plants of the genus Lycoris) of the family Amaryllidaceae.

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