BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wild Licorice 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Wild licorice is a native, perennial, leguminous forb that grows from 1
to 4 feet (0.3-1.2 m) tall [18,28,37,44].  It may form colonies by
adventitious shoots from roots and deep-seated rhizomes
[13,19,24,43,44].  Rhizomes are many-branched and may grow up to several
feet long [42].  Leaves are 0.8 to 2.8 inches (2-7 cm) long and 0.16 to
0.8 inch (4-20 mm) wide [13,37].  Legumes are indehiscent, sessile, and
bur-like with hooked prickles, and are O.4 to 0.6 inch (12-15 mm) long
[16,28,37,43].  Seeds are 0.08 to 0.12 inch (2-3 mm) long [44].  

In addition to rhizomes, wild licorice has an extensive system of deep,
fleshy roots [42].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Hemicryptophyte
   Geophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Vegetative:  Wild licorice spreads vigorously by sprouting from rhizomes
[1,2,6,19,44].

Sexual:  Wild licorice produces abundant seeds with relatively low
germination rates, which can be increased with scarification [37].
Seeds were collected from native ranges in western North Dakota.  Three
storage treatments were applied to separate lots of seed.  Germination
results (in %) were [2]:

 room Temp storage            dry cold storage           wet cold storage
Jan Feb Mar Apr May          Jan Feb Mar Apr May        Jan Feb Mar Apr May
 
65  80  75  77  79           57  71  61  56  60         77  52  69  75  55
     
The hooked prickles of wild licorice seedpods adhere to animals so the
fruits are widely dispersed [37].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Wild licorice occurs in fields, meadows, borrow ditches, and along
roadsides [16,17,19,34,44].  It occurs in open, unshaded areas on
disturbed soils [17,32,44].  It is a facultative wetland species, most
commonly found in moist areas such as terraces, seeps, streambanks, wet
meadows, floodplains, and along lakeshores [17,37,43,46,,47].

Wild licorice grows best on moist to semiwet soils with good drainage
[13,15,17].  It grows best on loam, sandy loam, and clayey loam soils,
but occurs on gravelly substrates as well [35,46].  

Elevations for wild licorice for several states are as follows:

                      feet              meters            

Arizona            2,000-7,000          600-2,100      [20]
California              <7,500             <2,250      [28]
Colorado           4,000-8,500        1,200-2,550      [16,46]
Montana            6,600-7,500        1,980-2,250      [46]
North Dakota       1,930-2,640            585-800      [41]   
Utah               3,300-8,100          990-2,430      [46]
Wyoming            3,700-7,600        1,110-2,280      [46]


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Wild licorice is an aggressive colonizer of disturbed riparian habitats
[5,17].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Wild licorice flowering dates for several states are as follows:

Arizona               May-July      [20]
California            May-July      [28]
Colorado              Jun-Aug       [46]
Great Plains          July-Sep      [47,48]
Illinois              Jun-Aug       [27]
Montana               July          [46]
Nebraska              June-July     [34]
North Dakota          Jun-Aug       [46]
Utah                  Jun-Aug       [46]
Wyoming               Jun-Sep       [46]
  

Related categories for Species: Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wild Licorice