Licorice Root Glycyrrhiza glabra
Hidden beneath a leafy perennial plant is one of the botanical world's most distinctive underground systems. Licorice root comes from Glycyrrhiza glabra, a member of the legume family known for its extensive roots and rhizomes, compound leaves, pale purple to bluish flowers, pod-forming reproductive structures, and the intensely sweet compound glycyrrhizin.
What Is
Licorice Root?
Licorice root is the underground portion associated with Glycyrrhiza glabra, a perennial member of the legume family.
A Remarkable Plant Hidden Underground
Glycyrrhiza glabra is a herbaceous perennial belonging to Fabaceae, the pea and bean family.
Above ground, the plant develops upright stems, compound leaves, and clusters of small flowers. Below ground lies an extensive system of roots and horizontal underground stems known as rhizomes.
These underground structures store resources, anchor the plant, absorb water and minerals, and help the perennial persist and spread.
The Root Is Only Part of the Underground Story
What is commonly called "licorice root" can involve both true root tissue and rhizomes. A rhizome is not technically a root. It is a modified underground stem.
Where Licorice Fits in the Plant Kingdom
Licorice belongs to the same enormous flowering-plant family as peas, beans, lentils, clovers, peanuts, and rooibos.
Glycyrrhiza Means "Sweet Root"
The scientific name itself points directly toward the characteristic that made the plant famous.
Glykys
The name ultimately traces to a Greek word associated with sweetness.
Rhiza
The second part derives from a Greek word meaning root, producing the idea of a "sweet root."
Glabra
The species epithet glabra refers to a smooth or relatively hairless characteristic.
Roots, Rhizomes & an Underground Network
Licorice invests heavily below ground, developing structures that perform several different biological jobs.
True Roots
Roots anchor the plant and absorb water and mineral nutrients from the surrounding soil.
Rhizomes
Rhizomes grow horizontally underground. Although they resemble roots, they are botanically modified stems.
Storage
Underground tissues can store carbohydrates and other resources that support continued perennial growth.
Water Uptake
Fine root tissues provide extensive contact with the soil, allowing the plant to absorb water.
Mineral Uptake
The root system obtains mineral nutrients needed for cellular growth, metabolism, and reproduction.
Vegetative Spread
Underground stems can contribute to the plant's ability to spread beyond the original crown.
Root vs. Rhizome
They both grow underground, but botanically they are very different structures.
An Absorbing Organ
Roots primarily anchor the plant and obtain water and mineral nutrients from the soil.
True roots do not possess the nodes and buds characteristic of stems.
An Underground Stem
A rhizome is a modified stem that grows below the soil surface, often horizontally.
Because it is a stem, a rhizome can possess nodes and buds capable of producing new shoots and roots.
Glycyrrhizin
One compound is especially important to understanding the extraordinary sweetness associated with licorice root: glycyrrhizin.
Natural Compound
Glycyrrhizin is a naturally occurring saponin-type compound found in licorice root.
Intensely Sweet
Glycyrrhizin possesses an intense sweetness that can greatly exceed that of ordinary sucrose by weight.
Plant Chemistry
Although glycyrrhizin is the famous molecule, licorice contains many additional compounds and should not be thought of as chemically defined by one substance alone.
Why Is
It Sweet?
The sweetness of licorice root is chemistry rather than ordinary stored table sugar.
A Different Kind of Sweetness
Licorice root's characteristic sweetness is strongly associated with glycyrrhizin, also called glycyrrhizic acid.
The compound interacts with human sweet-taste perception, giving licorice its unusually intense and lingering sweetness.
This is chemically different from simply having an unusually high concentration of sucrose in the root.
Sweet Does Not Automatically Mean Sugar
Humans perceive many chemically unrelated molecules as sweet. Glycyrrhizin and sucrose have very different molecular structures even though both can activate perceptions of sweetness.
Inside Licorice Root
Licorice contains a chemically diverse collection of plant constituents rather than a single active molecule.
Glycyrrhizin
The famous sweet saponin-type constituent strongly associated with licorice root.
SaponinFlavonoids
Licorice contains numerous flavonoid compounds that contribute to the plant's broader chemical profile.
PolyphenolsLiquiritin
Liquiritin is one of the flavonoid glycosides identified in licorice.
Flavonoid GlycosideGlabridin
Glabridin is an isoflavan associated particularly with Glycyrrhiza glabra.
IsoflavanWhat Does the Licorice Plant Look Like?
The famous root belongs to a leafy perennial with a complete above-ground botanical life of its own.
Upright Stems
New shoots rise from the perennial underground system and support the plant's foliage and flowers.
Compound Leaves
Licorice produces pinnately compound leaves consisting of multiple leaflets arranged along a central axis.
Perennial Growth
Unlike an annual that completes its entire life cycle in one season, licorice can persist and regrow across multiple years.
One Leaf, Many Leaflets
Licorice foliage provides a useful example of the difference between a simple leaf and a compound leaf.
Compound Leaf
A licorice leaf is divided into multiple individual leaflets rather than consisting of one continuous blade.
Pinnate Arrangement
The leaflets are organized along a central axis, producing a feather-like pinnate arrangement.
Photosynthesis
The green leaflets contain chlorophyll and capture light energy used by the plant during photosynthesis.
Licorice Produces Delicate Legume Flowers
Its underground roots may receive most of the attention, but Glycyrrhiza glabra is also a flowering plant.
Pale Purple
The flowers are commonly described in pale violet, lilac, bluish-purple, or related shades.
Flower Clusters
Multiple flowers are grouped together rather than appearing only as isolated individual blossoms.
Legume Heritage
Their floral structure reflects licorice's membership in Fabaceae, the pea and bean family.
Licorice Produces Legume Pods
After successful flowering and fertilization, the plant can develop fruits containing its next generation.
Legume Fruit
As a member of Fabaceae, licorice produces a dry fruit classified botanically as a legume.
Fruit TypeSeeds
Seeds develop within the fruits and contain embryos capable of establishing new plants.
ReproductionSeed Coat
Each seed possesses an outer protective layer surrounding the embryo and stored resources.
Seed AnatomyGermination
When environmental conditions are suitable, viable seeds can germinate and begin a new generation.
Life CycleLicorice Has Some Famous Relatives
The legume family contains an extraordinary range of plants, from tiny herbs to shrubs and large trees.
Peas & Beans
Many of the world's familiar edible legumes belong to the same botanical family as licorice.
Peanuts
Peanuts are legumes rather than true nuts and are therefore relatives of licorice within Fabaceae.
Rooibos
Rooibos, Aspalathus linearis, also belongs to Fabaceae, making these two very different plants members of the same enormous family.
Plants &
Microbes
The legume family is famous for underground partnerships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
The Legume Connection Goes Below Ground
Many legumes form relationships with specialized soil bacteria capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
In these symbioses, bacteria transform nitrogen gas into chemical forms that can enter biological systems, while the plant provides resources and a specialized environment.
This ability is one reason the legume family is so important in ecology and agriculture.
Plants Need Nitrogen
Nitrogen is essential for amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, and many other biological molecules. Yet atmospheric nitrogen gas cannot be used directly by most plants.
A Plant of Eurasia and Western Asia
Glycyrrhiza glabra is associated with regions stretching from parts of southern Europe and the Mediterranean through western and central areas of Asia.
Eurasian Range
Licorice has a broad Old World distribution compared with plants confined to very narrow geographic regions.
Warm Regions
The species is associated with temperate to warm environments across portions of its natural and cultivated range.
Long Cultivation
Human interest in the plant has contributed to its cultivation well beyond purely wild populations.
A Perennial With Staying Power
Licorice does not need to rebuild its entire existence from seed every year. Its underground system allows the plant to persist across growing seasons.
Persistent Underground System
Roots and rhizomes remain below ground and provide the foundation for renewed growth.
Seasonal Shoots
Above-ground stems and foliage can emerge from the established perennial system during favorable growing conditions.
Vegetative Expansion
Rhizomes can extend horizontally and contribute to the development of new shoots away from the original crown.
Brown Outside, Yellowish Within
Licorice root has a very different appearance from the green foliage growing above it.
Outer Surface
The exterior of mature underground material commonly appears brown to yellowish brown.
ExteriorInner Tissue
When cut, the internal tissue may reveal distinctly yellow or golden-yellow coloration.
InteriorFibrous Structure
Root and rhizome tissues contain vascular and structural fibers that give dried pieces their tough, woody character.
AnatomyGrowth Rings?
Licorice underground structures should not be confused with the annual woody growth rings characteristic of a large temperate tree trunk.
Plant StructureFrom Seed to Underground Network
Licorice develops from a young seedling into a perennial plant with both visible and hidden architecture.
01 • Germination
A viable seed begins producing a young root and shoot when conditions permit germination.
02 • Seedling
The young plant establishes photosynthetic foliage while expanding its developing root system.
03 • Root Development
The underground system becomes increasingly substantial as the perennial matures.
04 • Rhizome Growth
Horizontal underground stems can expand outward and support vegetative growth.
05 • Flowering
Mature plants can produce clusters of pale purple to bluish flowers.
06 • Fruit & Seed
Successful reproduction leads to development of legume fruits containing seeds for another generation.
Natural Does Not Mean Chemically Inactive
Licorice is an excellent example of why plants should be understood as chemically active living organisms rather than collections of harmless flavors and aromas.
Potent Molecules
Plants manufacture secondary compounds that can interact strongly with animal physiology.
Glycyrrhizin Matters
Glycyrrhizin is biologically active, and substantial or prolonged exposure can affect human physiology.
Plant ≠ Inert
Botanical compounds are real chemicals. Their natural origin does not make them chemically or biologically inactive.
Nine Things Worth Remembering
01
The botanical name of licorice is Glycyrrhiza glabra.
02
Licorice belongs to Fabaceae, the pea and bean family.
03
The name Glycyrrhiza is associated with the idea of a "sweet root."
04
The underground system contains both true roots and rhizomes.
05
A rhizome is technically an underground stem rather than a root.
06
Glycyrrhizin is the compound most famously associated with licorice's intense sweetness.
07
Licorice produces pinnately compound leaves composed of multiple leaflets.
08
The plant produces pale violet to bluish flowers and dry legume fruits.
09
Licorice is a perennial capable of regrowing from its established underground system.
Questions About Licorice Root
What plant does licorice root come from?
The licorice described on this page comes from Glycyrrhiza glabra, a perennial flowering plant belonging to the family Fabaceae.
Is licorice a root?
The plant possesses true roots, but material referred to as licorice root can also include rhizomes, which are botanically underground stems.
What is a rhizome?
A rhizome is a modified stem that grows horizontally underground. It can possess nodes and buds capable of producing shoots and roots.
Why is licorice root sweet?
Its distinctive sweetness is strongly associated with glycyrrhizin, a naturally occurring compound found in licorice root.
Is glycyrrhizin a sugar?
No. Glycyrrhizin is chemically different from ordinary sugars such as sucrose even though humans perceive it as intensely sweet.
What does the licorice plant look like?
Glycyrrhiza glabra is a leafy herbaceous perennial with upright stems, pinnately compound leaves, and clusters of small pale violet to bluish flowers.
What family is licorice in?
Licorice belongs to Fabaceae, the large flowering-plant family containing peas, beans, peanuts, lentils, clovers, and many other legumes.
Does licorice produce flowers?
Yes. The plant produces clusters of relatively small flowers, often described as pale violet, lilac, or bluish-purple.
Does licorice produce fruit?
Yes. As a member of Fabaceae, licorice produces dry legume fruits containing seeds.
Is licorice a perennial?
Yes. Glycyrrhiza glabra is a perennial plant with an underground system capable of persisting across multiple growing seasons.
What color is licorice root?
The exterior commonly appears brown or yellowish brown, while cut internal tissues can display a more pronounced yellow or golden coloration.
Is licorice related to rooibos?
Yes, although they belong to different genera. Licorice and rooibos are both members of the enormous legume family, Fabaceae.
The Sweet Secret
Beneath the Soil.
Licorice root reveals how much of a plant's story can remain hidden underground. Beneath Glycyrrhiza glabra lies a network of true roots and modified underground stems, while above the soil grow compound leaves, delicate flowers, and legume fruits. From the unusual sweetness of glycyrrhizin to the botanical distinction between roots and rhizomes, licorice is a striking example of the chemistry and architecture hidden inside an ordinary-looking perennial plant.
