Cichorium intybus L.
chicory (common chicory)
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
chicory (common chicory)
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a deep taproot; stems much branched, glabrous to stiff-hairy, 0.3-2.0 m tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves oblanceolate, stalked, toothed or more often pinnately cut, 8-25 cm long, 1-7 cm wide; stem leaves becoming reduced, unstalked, and entire or toothed upwards.
Flowers:
Heads with strap-shaped flowers, borne 1-3 together in upper leaf axils; involucres cylindric, 9-15 mm tall; involucral bracts in 2 series, the outer ones loose, fewer than the erect inner ones and at least half as long; ray flowers blue, rarely pink or white; disk flowers lacking.
Fruits:
Achenes glabrous, grooved, 5-angled, beakless, 2-3 mm long; pappus of 1-3 series of small scales.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Blue
Blooming Period:
Mid Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Cichorium intybus
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
582 | 325 | 915 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
24 | 0 | 62 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
76 | 73 | 333 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
2 | 1 | 4 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
7 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BG(2), IDF(3), PP(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry roadsides and waste places in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC; introduced from Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Cichorium intybus var. foliosum Hegi
Cichorium intybus var. sativum (Bisch.) Janch.