It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the papilionaceous family of woody stems. Originally from Southeast Asia and Europe. It grows in very humid areas and can reach up to five meters in height, with elliptical leaves, pointed and somewhat viscous on the underside. It has small flowers, from 80 to 120 mm, are bluish or purple and born in loose and pedunculate clusters. The fruit is an oblong legume of about 2 to 3 cm with several seeds. This plant has been used since ancient times as a natural remedy, as it has anti-ulcer, laxative and expectorant properties. For its peculiar flavor it has also been used in gastronomy, as a sweetener, in the manufacture of sweets, pastries and pastries. There are even some high-proof alcoholic beverages that include rose hips among their ingredients. Nowadays it is coming back into fashion and is used as a flavouring for sauces, for meats and in some alcoholic mixers, especially those involving gin. It is also called agarradera, alcancuz, alcarzuz, alcazul, alfendol, bena, chocolate del moro, liquorice, fendoces, findoz, fustdolz, melosa, orojué, ororuz, orozú, orozuz, paliduz, palulú, palo dulce, palo-luz, palodul, palodulce, regalicia, regalistia, regaliz, regaliza and rogalicia. In botany the licorice plant is known as glycyrrhiza glabra, which could be translated as ‘sweet root without hairs’ by its absence of hairy roots.