Herbaceous plant belonging to the papilionaceous family, growing to over 1 m in height with a long, thick taproot and thick secondary roots. The roots contain glycyrrhizin, a triterpene saponin with about 50 times the sweetening power of sucrose. The "licorice juice" (liquiritiae succus) extracted from the roots is further processed into licorice confectionery. Clustered, bluish-purple and white flowers, small, brown seed capsules. Flowering time: June to September.
The dried roots(Liquiritiae radix) are used phytotherapeutically.