Family: Fabaceae
High Risk Traits:
- Broad climate suitability
- Certain varieties can grow in tropical climates
- Widely naturalized
- Regarded as an agricultural weed in a number of locations
- Related species have also become invasive
- Excessive liquorice consumption can lead to cardiac dysfunction and severe hypertension
- N- fixing (beneficial, but may also alter soil chemistry and facilitate other invasive weeds)
- Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by rhizomes
- Hybridizes with other Glycyrrhiza species
- Seeds and rhizome fragments intentionally dispersed, and potentially accidentally dispersed as a soil contaminant
- Seeds may form a persistent seed bank
- Able to resprout from rhizomes and root fragments
Low Risk Traits:
- Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
- Provides fodder for livestock
- Important commercial uses
- Reported to be self-incompatible
- Herbicides may provide effective control