Common name: Chicory
Cichorium intybus L. APNI*
Description: Perennial rossette herb; stems 30–120 cm high, grooved, with short crisped hairs or glabrous.
Basal leaves oblanceolate, 7–30 cm long, 1–12 cm wide, apex acute, margins toothed to pinnatisect with toothed lobes, pubescent to ± glabrous; cauline leaves gradually becoming smaller up the stem to become bract-like.
Heads solitary, or in small groups and axillary. Florets blue, rarely white; rays 15–20 mm long.
Achenes 2–3 mm long, pale or mottled, smooth or very finely rugulose; pappus of minute scales.
Distribution and occurrence: Common roadside and wasteland weed. Native of Europe, North Africa & Asia.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP, *SFWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *W.A. *S.A.
Chicory has been cultivated for fodder and as a salad vegetable; roots are still used to blend with coffee.
Text by L. Murray
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
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