Common chicory |
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1885 illustration |
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Scientific classification |
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Unrecognized taxon (fix): | Plantae |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Cichorium |
Species: | C. intybus |
Binomial name |
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Cichorium intybus
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Synonyms |
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Synonymy Cichorium balearicum Porta Cichorium byzantinum Clementi Cichorium caeruleum Gilib. Cichorium cicorea Dumort. Cichorium commune Pall. Cichorium cosnia Buch.-Ham. Cichorium divaricatum Heldr. ex Nyman Cichorium glabratum C.Presl Cichorium glaucum Hoffmanns. & Link Cichorium hirsutum Gren. Cichorium illyricum borb. Cichorium officinale Gueldenst. ex Ledeb. Cichorium perenne Stokes Cichorium rigidum Salisb. Cichorium sylvestre Garsault Cichorium sylvestre (Tourn.) Lam. |
Common chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the dandelion family Asteraceae. It usually has bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink.
It is often used as a food plant, and often as a coffee substitute. Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or roots. The roots of variety sativum 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 fibre.