Polypodium glycyrrhiza very often associated with Acer macrophyllum. The fern is mycorrhizal, meaning it can form root associations with the hyphae of fungi. The sweet flavor of the rhizome was once attributed to the glycoside glycyrrhizin. However, a study has shown that the flavor may actually be due to polypodoside, which is 600 times sweeter than 6% sucrose solution. Licorice fern is cultivated as an ornamental garden plant. The cultivar 'Longicaudatum' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. The licorice fern is sometimes valued for its licorice-flavored rhizome. Occasionally it is chewed, and it can also be brewed into
Balanites glabra on stony or sandy soils, or on lava. It can persist in degraded plant communities often occurring alongside "Opuntia". The wood of "Balanites glabra" is used for carvings. The leaves are used as fodder while the spiny branches make it suitable for use as fencing, either as a live or dead fence. Despite being mildly poisonous the fruits are eaten. Balanites glabra Balanites glabra is a species of tree or shrub, classified either as a member of the Zygophyllaceae or the Balanitaceae. This tree is native to East Africa. "Balanites glabra" is a spiny shrub or tree growing to a