Polypodium glycyrrhiza a licorice-flavored tea. It may be used as a medicine for colds and respiratory conditions by indigenous peoples. It is considered an important medical plant and may have been used similar to cough drops. Since the rhizome is so sweet even in its naturally occurring state, and since the chemical is not a saccharide, it is possible that this compound could be used as a natural alternative to traditional sweeteners. Polypodium glycyrrhiza Polypodium glycyrrhiza, commonly known as licorice fern, many-footed fern, and sweet root, is a summer deciduous fern native to western North America, primarily in a narrow strip in
International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants is known to consider open and un-restricted access to the genetic resources of protected plant varieties to be important to the continued development of new varieties. This opinion is indicated in the "breeders' exemption" clause of the Convention, as described above, and was reinforced in October 2005 in a reply to a notification from the Convention on Biological Diversity. In April 2003, the Convention on Biological Diversity asked the UPOV for comment on the use of Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (also known pejoratively as 'terminator genes') as they relate to the promotion of intellectual property rights. In the summary of