Licorice is a medicinal plant belonging to the Fabaceae family and the Galegae tribe. The Glycyrrhiza genus comprises some 20 species. This plant was widely used by the Amerindians for coughs, to regulate menstrual flow, for fevers in nursing mothers and to help expel the placenta after birth. Some peoples also used it for stomach ulcers and otitis. The root was very popular with many peoples, who ate it raw or grilled. Glycyrrhiza glabra root has been known in Europe for thousands of years. There are several species in China, including Glycyrrhiza uralensis, one of the most important plants in traditional Chinese medicine (Gan-cao in the Chinese pharmacopoeia), which is used for coughs, to regulate vital energy, and to relieve spasms and convulsions. Some gourmets roast their pumpkin seeds with licorice root to give them a good flavor.