VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wild Licorice 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Wild licorice is eaten by deer and pronghorn [7,37,42].  It is grazed in
the summer and early fall by mule deer in Colorado [7].  In the Great
Plains, wild licorice roots are eaten by plains pocket gophers, foliage
is eaten by deer and pronghorn, and seeds are eaten by birds and rodents
[7].  In Utah and Wyoming, wild licorice is eaten by deer, elk,
pronghorn, upland game birds, passerine birds, waterfowl, and small
mammals [46].


PALATABILITY : 
Palatability ratings for wild licorice from selected western states are
as follows [45]:

                  CO        MT        ND        UT        WY

cattle           poor      poor      poor      poor      poor
sheep            fair      fair      fair      fair      fair
horses           poor      poor      poor      poor      fair



NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Wild licorice is rated poor in nutritional value for pronghorn and fair
for elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, upland game birds, waterfowl,
small nongame birds, and small mammals [45].  Energy rating is fair and
protein content is poor [46].  


COVER VALUE : 
Wild licorice cover values are as follows [46]:  

                                MT           UT          WY 

pronghorn                                   poor        poor
elk                                         poor        poor
mule deer                                   poor        poor
white-tailed deer                                       poor
small mammals                               fair        good
small nongame birds                         fair        good
upland game birds                           poor        fair
waterfowl                      good         poor        fair

In South Dakota, wild licorice is used for shade by sharp-tailed grouse
during the brood season [14].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Wild licorice has good potential for revegation of disturbed and denuded
lands [2,3,5,17], but may be difficult to establish due to restrictive
habitat requirements [17].  It has good soil-binding capabilities and
can be used for soil stabilization [6,20].  In North Dakota, wild
licorice was directly seeded and container-grown seedlings were
transplanted onto coal mine spoils.  Both methods resulted in the
production of successful stands of wild licorice, although the
transplant method resulted in more rapid growth of seedlings.  Estimated
number of seedlings produced in one growing season on mine spoil plots
was 22.3 per square foot (248/sq m) [1,2].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Native Americans of the Great Plains used wild licorice for medicinal
and nutritional purposes.  The Lakota used wild licorice as a fever
remedy for children.  Steeped leaves were used for earaches, and the
roots were chewed and held in the mouth to relieve toothaches and sore
throats.  The roots were also eaten for nourishment [37,44].

The sweet roots of wild licorice contain glycyrrhizin, which is used by
druggists and confectioners [22].  


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Wild licorice has potential as a valuable forage and conservation
species throughout the Great Plains.  However, three species of the
bruchid beetle may have substantial impacts on seed production of wild
licorice.  The bruchid beetle seed predators are Acanthoscelides
aureolus, A. fraterculus, and Bruchophagus grisselli [5,6,50].  In North
and South Dakota, seed predation by A. fraterculus reduced viable seed
production by 7 to 71 percent [6].

Wild licorice can become a serious weed on fertile soils in Arizona
[20].

Related categories for Species: Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wild Licorice