wild liquorice
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A perennial plant: "wild liquorice" refers to a specific herbaceous plant species (Galium boreale or Astragalus glycyphyllos) native to Europe and North America. It is noted for having a root that shares some properties with true liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), such as a sweet taste, but it is a botanically distinct species.
Usage Notes
- The term "wild liquorice" is a common name used to identify specific plants that are not true liquorice but resemble it in some characteristics, primarily the taste of their root.
- It is important to distinguish it from "liquorice" or "licorice," which refers specifically to , the plant used commercially for flavoring.
Examples
- Noun:
- We found patches of wild liquorice growing at the edge of the forest.
- The herbalist explained that wild liquorice can be used as a mild sweetener, similar to its cultivated cousin.
Advanced Usage
- Botanical Context: In botanical or foraging guides, "wild liquorice" serves as a key identifier for foragers and naturalists to recognize these specific species and understand their differences from true liquorice.
Variants and Related Words
- Wild licorice: An alternative spelling. The words "liquorice" and "licorice" are used interchangeably in common names.
- Northern bedstraw (): One of the plant species commonly called "wild liquorice."
- Licorice milk-vetch (): Another plant species known as "wild liquorice."
Synonyms
- False licorice: A term sometimes used to emphasize it is not the true liquorice plant.
- Northern wild licorice: A more specific variant of the common name.
Notes on Different Meanings
- The definition provided is specific to the botanical common name. "Wild liquorice" does not refer to an untamed form of the commercial liquorice plant, but to entirely different species with a similar property (sweet root).
Noun
- European perennial
- North American plant similar to true licorice and having a root with similar properties