licorice weed

1 definition found

licorice weed - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Licorice \Lic"o*rice\ (l[i^]k"[-o]*r[i^]s), n. [OE. licoris,
     through old French, fr. L. liquiritia, corrupted fr.
     glycyrrhiza, Gr. glyky`rriza; glyky`s sweet + "ri`za root.
     Cf. Glycerin, Glycyrrhiza, Wort.] [Written also
     liquorice.]
     1. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Glycyrrhiza (Glycyrrhiza  glabra
        ), the root of which abounds with a sweet juice,
        and is much used in demulcent compositions.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The inspissated juice of licorice root, used as a
        confection and for medicinal purposes.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Licorice fern (Bot.), a name of several kinds of polypody
        which have rootstocks of a sweetish flavor.
  
     Licorice sugar. (Chem.) See Glycyrrhizin.
  
     Licorice weed (Bot.), the tropical plant Scapania dulcis.
        
  
     Mountain licorice (Bot.), a kind of clover (Trifolium  alpinum
        ), found in the Alps. It has large purplish
        flowers and a sweetish perennial rootstock.
  
     Wild licorice. (Bot.)
        (a) The North American perennial herb Glycyrrhiza  lepidota
            .
        (b) Certain broad-leaved cleavers (Galium circ[ae]zans
            and Galium lanceolatum).
        (c) The leguminous climber Abrus precatorius, whose
            scarlet and black seeds are called black-eyed  Susans
            . Its roots are used as a substitute for those
            of true licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra).
            [1913 Webster]