Cichorium intybus Chicory

An erect, sturdy perennial up to 1m tall with stiff stems that have few, long branches. Although it is not native it has been part of the British flora for hundreds of years. There are two subspecies but wild plants in Britain are mostly referable to Cichorium intybus ssp. silvestre which has lower leaves that are deply dissected and lobed and unstalked, lanceolate upper leaves. The attractive, bright blue flower heads are produced in summer and only have ray florets. It is a widespread species, but rather local overall and often occurs as one or few plants where it is found. It is a plant of grassy waste places and roadside verges especially where there is some degree of base-richness. It is occasional in West Glamorgan with a scattered distribution, most common in coastal areas, but established plants are long-lived and will persist for decades if left undisturbed. Chicory is cultivated for salad, usually in a blanched form, but cultivated plants are a different subspecies, Cichorium intybus ssp. intybus. It is also used in coffee giving it a more bitter taste and Camp Coffee, which was very popular in the Second World War when coffee grains were not widely avialable, is a concentrated mixture chicory, coffee and sugar. Chicory roots are a good source of dietary fibre and have a mildly laxative effect and they contain significant amounts of inulin (a polysaccharide similar to starch) which is used as a sweetner.

Archaeophyte