When we say licorice, we mean Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. It is a perennial herb, but its height is only 1 m. Roots stout, pinnately compound leaves, 3 ~ 8 leaflets. Iris is purple and slightly white. Pods are sickle-shaped or ring-shaped, densely spiny or glandular hairy, and closely arranged on the fruit axis. There are about 13 kinds of brothers and sisters belonging to Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. There are 8 species in China, and 5 species all grow in northwest desert area. Besides Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, Glycyrrhiza glabra and Glycyrrhiza inflata Fisch also have the same medicinal value. The pods of Glycyrrhiza glabra are flat, smooth and hairless, arranged on the axis of fruit order, which is convenient for evacuation; The pod of Glycyrrhiza inflata is short, smooth and swollen, and there are only two seeds in it.
The dried roots and branches of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. can be used as medicine, which is flat in nature and sweet in taste. Has the effects of invigorating spleen, invigorating qi, clearing away heat and toxic materials, resolving phlegm, relieving cough, relieving pain, and harmonizing various medicines. Can be used for treating spleen and stomach weakness, listlessness, palpitation, shortness of breath, cough with excessive phlegm, carbuncle, swelling, sores, abdominal distension, and relieving drug toxicity. Compatibility of traditional Chinese medicine can be divided into monarch, minister, envoy and assistant. Using licorice as the minister, envoy and assistant of many traditional Chinese medicines can reduce the toxicity of some drugs, and also make bitter drugs difficult to take and convenient for patients to take. As the saying goes, a good medicine tastes bitter and is good for the disease.
There are more than 100 kinds of organic compounds extracted from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, including glycyrrhizin (potassium calcium glycyrrhizinate) and glycyrrhizin. Using these useful ingredients, people have developed many drugs. Licorice also plays an important role in food industry and tobacco manufacturing, such as some candied spices and cigarette additives.
Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch is also an important sand-fixing plant, and its roots go deep into the sand to absorb water. In many places, licorice accompanied by Populus euphratica forests and red willows makes desert oases more beautiful. However, due to the importance of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch in traditional Chinese medicine, wild Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch has been randomly mined and dug, and the resources in many places have been almost exhausted. Moreover, the rare vegetation in the desert was destroyed and sandstorms broke out again. Therefore, it is necessary to advocate artificial cultivation of licorice, which is easy to emerge after sowing. According to estimates, the income from planting licorice is much higher than that from planting general food crops.