Chicory
Chicory in a field, Dorset
Chicory flowers
Flowerhead made up of blue florets
Sepals - glands and hairs
Leaves and stems
Leaf insertion - pointed auricles
Roughly hairy, toothed leaves
Cichorium intybus
Asteraceae
Wild Succory
June to September
It is scattered throughout the country, but is less common
in the North and the far Southwest
See the BSBI distribution map for Chicory
Chicory is an archaeophyte and a relic of cultivation.
It has become naturalised by the edges of woodland and
fields, in rough grassland and by roads and paths.
It is still grown as a crop.
It is a stiff, perennial herb growing up to 120cm.
The flowers are like brilliant blue dandelions.
They are up to 4cm across and composed of numerous
florets.
Flowers open in the morning and close after mid-day.
The leaves are toothed, lanceolate and roughly hairy;
the upper ones clasping the stem with pointed auricles.
Chicory is produced by grinding up the tap-root, and
young shoots can be eaten in salads.
The various uses of Chicory are discussed in this link.
It is also used as a source on inulin, which can be
used as a prebiotic.
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Chicory in a field, Dorset
Chicory flowers
Flowerhead made up of blue florets
Sepals - glands and hairs
Leaves and stems
Leaf insertion - pointed auricles
Roughly hairy, toothed leaves
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