Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a plant species in the Asteraceae family—a perennial herb that grows upright, rigid, and sturdy, reaching a height of 120 cm, with a long, strong taproot. Its annual stems branch out toward the top; they are longitudinally grooved and covered in coarse hairs, though they may sometimes appear nearly glabrous.

The basal leaves are 7–30 cm long and 1–12 cm wide, generally oblanceolate in shape, and pinnately divided into runcinate-pinnatifid segments. The tips range from blunt to pointed, the bases are semi-amplexicaul (partially clasping the stem), and the margins are toothed or sparsely finely-toothed. These leaves may be covered in coarse or fine hairs, or appear nearly glabrous. Stem leaves are smaller, typically oblong-lanceolate and undivided; they are sessile with amplexicaul bases, have toothed or entire (smooth) margins, and are either coarsely hairy or nearly glabrous.

The flower heads (capitula) are 2.5–3 cm in diameter and arranged in clusters of 2–4, seated directly on branches that are usually quite long, slightly sinuous, and spread upward. These flower clusters are accompanied by large, leaf-like bracts. A capitulum may also appear singly at the end of a stalk that thickens toward the top; these stalks are 9–14 cm long. The involucre is cylindrical and 11–14 mm long.

The phyllaries (bracts of the involucre) are arranged in two series and have a coriaceous (leathery) texture; their margins and midribs may be glandular-ciliate (fringed with glandular hairs) or glabrous. The outer phyllaries are up to 8 mm long, narrowly ovate, with a thickened, patelliform (saucer-shaped) base and a pointed tip that curves outward or downward. The inner phyllaries are 11–14 mm long, lanceolate, and upright, with pubescent (hairy) tips.

The corolla is 18 mm long, with a 2 mm-long cylindrical base covered in fine or long hairs. The ligule is 16 mm long, widening to 4 mm in the middle; it is strap-shaped and bright blue, with an outer surface that is either finely hairy or glabrous, and an apical lobe densely covered in fine hairs. The ligule is positioned in a spreading orientation. The achene is 2.5 mm long, elongated obconical in shape, truncate at the apex, tending toward a five-angled form, with a wrinkled and somewhat rough surface. The pappus consists of several series of short, persistent scales, measuring one-quarter the length of the achene.

The fruit is 0.3 cm long, dark brown, and triangular in shape. Each fruit contains a single seed. A single plant can produce up to 3,000 seeds. The seeds are very small, obovate, and light brown.

C. intybus grows in soils with a pH of 4.5–8.4, in areas with an annual rainfall of 30–400 cm, and at annual temperatures ranging from 6–27°C. The flowers, leaves, and roots are edible. The leaves can be consumed raw or cooked; they have a somewhat bitter taste and are often blanched before being added to salads. The flowers can be eaten raw. The roots can be cooked like parsnips; young roots are boiled and served as a vegetable dish. The roots are also used as a seasoning in soups, sauces, and gravies, or roasted to be used as an additive to—or a caffeine-free substitute for—coffee.

The leaves (per 100 g) contain 290 calories; water content: 0%. protein 24.6 g, fat 2.9 g, carbohydrates 59.4 g, fiber 13 g, ash 13 g, calcium 1145 mg, iron 24.6 mg, vitamin A 23 mg, vitamin B1 1.01 mg, vitamin B2 1.74 mg, niacin 5.8 mg, vitamin C 159 mg. Roots (per 100 g) contain 77% water, 0.6 g fat, and 0.8 g ash.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Cichorieae
Subtribe: Cichoriinae
Genus: Cichorium L. in Sp. Pl.: 813 (1753)
Species: Cichorium intybus L. in Sp. Pl.: 813 (1753)
Subspecies:
Cichorium intybus subsp. intybus
Cichorium intybus subsp. spicatum I.Ricci

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cichorium intybus var. sylvestre Vis. in Fl. Dalmat. 2: 97 (1847)
Cichorium intybus f. sylvestre Bisch. in Beitr. Fl. Deutschl.: 25 (1851)
Cichorium rigidum Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 183 (1796)
Cichorium sylvestre Lam. in Fl. Franç. 2: 120 (1779)

PUBLICATIONS

Dar, G.H. & Govaerts, R.H.A. (2025). Flora of Kashmir Himalaya: Sind Valley 2: 607-1262. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India.

GCC (2011). Global Compositae Checklist http://compositae.landcareresearch.co.nz.

Ghazanfar, S.A. (1992). An Annotated Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Oman and their Vernacular names. Scripta Botanica Belgica 2: 1-153.

Ghazanfar, S.A., Edmondson, J.R. & Hind, D.J.N. (eds.) (2019). Flora of Iraq 6: 1-458. Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform, Baghdad.

Hassler, M. & Muer, T. (2022). Flora Germanica: alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild 2: 865-1712. Verlag Regionalkultur, Uberstadt-Weiher.

Kharkevich, S.S. (ed.) (1992). Plantae Vasculares Orientalis Extremi Sovietici 6: 1-428. Nauka, Leningrad.

Knapp, W.M. & Naczi, R.F.C. (2021). Vascular plants of Maryland, USA. A comprehensive account of the state's botanical diversity. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 113: 1-151.

Komiljon, T., Natalya, B., Avazbek, B., Dilnoza, A., Ziyoviddin, Y., Deng, T. & Sun, H. (2020). Flora of the Dzhizak Province, Uzbekistan: 1-523. China Forestry Publishing House.

Kotiya, A., Solanki, Y. & Reddy, G.V. (2020). Flora of Rajasthan: 1-769. Rajasthan state biodiversity board.

Kozhevnikov, A.E., Kozhevnikov, Z.V., Kwak, M. & Lee, B.Y. (2019). Illustrated flora of the Primorsky Territory, Russian Far East: 1-1124. National institute of biological resources.

Krasnoborov, I.M. (ed.) (2007). Flora of Siberia 13: 1-499. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.

Litvinskaya, S.A. & Murtazaliev, R.A. (2013). Flora of the Northern Caucasus: An Atlas and Identification Book: 1-688. Fiton XXI.

Meades, S.J. & Brouillet, L. (2019). Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Newfoundland and Labrador https://newfoundland-labradorflora.ca/checklist.

Mehboob-ur-Rahman (2012). Wild plants of Swat, Pakistan 1: 1-281. Department of botany, govt. Jehanzeb post graduate college.

Mirek, Z., Piękoś-Mirkowa, H., Zając, A. & Zając, M (2020). Vascular plants of Poland an annotated checklist: 1-526. W. Szafer institute of botany, Polish academy of sciences, Krakow, Poland.

Nikolin, E.G. (2020). Opredelitel' vysshikh rasteniy Yakutii: 1-895. Moskva : Tovarishchestvo Nauchnykh Izdaniy KMK Novosibirsk "Nauka".

Pruski, J.F. (ed.) (2018). Flora Mesoamericana 5(2): 1-608. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.

Schäfer, H. (2021). Flora of the Azores a field guide: 1-445. Margraf Publishers GmbH.

Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.

Stalažs, A. (2024). List of vascular plants of Latvia (with Latvian names): 1-312. Dobele.

Stupar, V., Milanović, Đ. & Brujić, J. (2021). Vascular flora of the Republic of Srpska: 1-499. Faculty of Forestry, University of Banja Luka.

Takahashi, H. (2024). Plants of Sakhalin island: 1-791. Hokkaido University Press.

de Salas, MF, Baker, ML (2022). A Census of the Vascular Plants of Tasmania, including Macquarie Island: 1-161. Tasmanian Herbarium, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart. https://flora.tmag.tas.gov.au/resources/census.

VERNACULAR NAME

Afrikaans: Sigorei
Arabic: هندباء برية
Belarusian: Цыкорыя звычайная
Bulgarian: Синя жлъчка
Catalan: Cama-roja, Xicoira
Chinese (simplified): 菊苣
Chinese (traditional): 菊苣
Croatian: Cikorija
Czech: Čekanka obecná
Danish: Cikorie
Dutch: Wilde cichorei
English: Chicory, Chickory, Bunk, Blue weed, Wild chicory, Wild chickory, Common chicory, Blue sailors, Blue dandelion, Blowball, Blue daisy, Blue weed, Wild endive
Estonian: Harilik sigur
Finnish: Sikuri
French: Chicorée amère, Chicorée commune, Chicorée intybe, Chicorée sauvage
Galician: Chicoria
German: Gemeine Wegwarte
Greek: Κιχώριον το ίντυβον - Ραδίκι
Hebrew: עולש תרבותי
Hindi: कसनी - हिंदूबा Kasni, Hinduba
Hungarian: Mezei katáng, Mezei katángkóró
Icelandic: Kaffifífill
Indonesia: Kikori
Italian: Cicoria comune
Japanese: キクニガナ - 菊苦菜
Java: Kikori
Kannada: Chikory
Kazakh: Кәдімгі шашырақты
Korean: 치커리
Latvian: Parastais cigoriņš
Lithuanian: Paprastoji trūkažolė
Malayalam: Chikkari
Marathi: Kachani
New Zealand: Chicory
Norwegian: Sikori
Ossetian: Куыдзыдзæхæра
Pashto: هڼ
Polish: Cykoria podróżnik
Portuguese: Almeirão, Chicória
Romanian: Cicoare
Russian: Цикорий обыкновенный
Sanskrit: Kasni
Serbian: Водопија - Цикорија
Slovak: Čakanka obyčajná
Slovenian: Navadni potrošnik
Spanish: Achicoria
Swat District: هڼ
Swedish: Cikoria, Vägvårda
Telugu: Kasini, Kasini-vittulu
Turkish: At Çıtlığı, Beyaz hindiba, Hindiba, Radika, Yabani hindiba
Ukrainian: Цикорій дикий
Upper Sorbian: Wšědna změrniwka
Urdu: کسنی - تکمے کاسنی - بارگ کاسنی۔ Kasni, Tukme-e-kasni, Barg-e-kasni
Welsh: Ysgellog

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium