Chicory

Chicory

Not to be confused with Cichorium endivia.

For the 2021 video game, see Chicory: A Colorful Tale.

Common chicory

Blue-flowered form

Scientific classificationEdit this classification

Kingdom:   Plantae

Clade:         Tracheophytes

Clade:         Angiosperms

Clade:         Eudicots

Clade:         Asterids

Order:        Asterales

Family:       Asteraceae

Genus:       Cichorium

Species:     C. intybus

Binomial name

Cichorium intybus

L.

Synonyms

Synonymy

Botanical illustration (1885)

Common chicory (Cichorium intybus)[3] is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Native to the Old World, it has been introduced to the Americas and Australia

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 food additive. In the 21st century, inulin, an extract from chicory root, has been used in food manufacturing as a sweetener and source of dietary fiberChicory is also grown as a forage crop for livestock