Glycyrrhiza | |
---|---|
Glycyrrhiza glabra | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Faboideae |
(unranked): | Inverted repeat-lacking clade |
Genus: |
Glycyrrhiza L. |
Glycyrrhiza is a genus of about 18 accepted species in the legume family (Fabaceae), with a subcosmopolitan distribution in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas.
The genus is best known for liquorice (British English; licorice in American English), G. glabra, a species native to the Mediterranean region, from which the confectionery liquorice is produced. Very little G. glabra is grown in North America, but American Licorice G. lepidota is a common native species there. Russian Liquorice (G. echinata) and Chinese Liquorice (G. uralensis; Chinese: ; pinyin: gāncǎo) are also cultivated, the latter being important in traditional Chinese medicine. Also known by following names in these languages: Hindi – mulethi, Sanskrit – yastimadhu, Gujarati name – jethimadh, Marathi name - Jeshthamadh (जेष्ठमध), Thai - cha aim taed ชะเอมเทศ.
Species include: