chicory (EwA Guide to the Plants of the Fells (US))

chicory

Cichorium intybus

Summary ⁷

Common chicory, Cichorium intybus, is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the dandelion family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or roots (var. sativum), which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive. It is also grown as a forage crop for livestock. It lives as a wild plant on roadsides in its native Europe, and is now...

Description ⁸

This plant is usually 1½–3' high, branching occasionally. The stems are variously colored, ranging from green to reddish brown. The lower stems can be quite hairy, while the upper stems are nearly hairless. The alternate leaves are up to 8" long and 2" across, becoming smaller as they ascend the stems. They are lanceolate, elliptic, or oblanceolate in overall shape, and either pinnatifid or dentate; the upper leaves have margins that are more smooth (entire). Each leaf narrows gradually to a petiole-like base, where it is either sessile or clasps the stem. There are usually conspicuous hairs along the central vein of the lower leaf surface. The upper stems terminate in long inflorescences that are either spike-like, or they are open branching panicles. Widely spaced along the flowering stalks, there are sessile or nearly sessile flowerheads and short triangular bracts. These flowerheads are about 1-1½" across and they have 10-20 ray florets. The petaloid rays of these florets are light blue, fading to white; there are 5 tiny teeth at the tip of each petaloid ray. Toward the center of each flowerhead, there are several light blue stamens with blue anthers. The flowerheads bloom during the morning, and close-up later in the day, unless the skies are cloudy. The blooming period can occur from early summer to early fall, depending on the weather and the timing of disturbances (such as occasional mowing). The achenes are oblongoid and 5-ribbed; there is a pair of small scales at the apex of each achene. The root system consists of a stout taproot. Common Chicory spreads by reseeding itself.

Sources and Credits

(c) Maria Wheeler-Dubas, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Maria Wheeler-Dubas
(c) Ondřej Zicha, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/541.jpg
(c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/photos/JCS-Cichorium-intybus-64122.JPG
(c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/photos/SDL-Cichorium-intybus-00003.jpg
(c) 2005 Luigi Rignanese, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=163060&one=T
(c) 2005 Luigi Rignanese, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=165267&one=T
(c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichorium_intybus
(c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29446439

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Flower color	blues
Flowering season	summer

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