Description:
Perennial growing to 1.5m by 0.5m.
The rootstock is
light yellow outside, white inside, and, like the rest of the
plant, contains a bitter,
milky juice. The stiff, angular, branching stem bears lanceolate
leaves that are coarsely toothed near the bottom of the plant.
The light-blue to violet-blue, flower heads feature rays that
are toothed at the ends. Flowering time is from July to September
or October.
Distribution and habitat:
Lawn; Meadow; Cultivated Beds; South Wall By; West Wall By.
Commonly cultivated and also are a common sight wild, along roadsides,
in vacant lots, waste ground, and fields throughout the United
States and Europe. Most of the United States cultivated Chicory
is grown in Michigan State.
Hystory:
It has been suggested that the name
Succory came from
the Latin
succurrere (to run under), because of the
depth to which the root penetrates. It may, however be a corruption
of Chicory, or
Ctchorium, a word of Egyptian origin,
which in various forms is the name of the plant in practically
every European language. The Arabian physicians called it 'Chicourey.'
Intybus,
the specific name of the Chicory, is a modification of another
Eastern name for the plant -
Hendibeh. The Endive, an
allied but foreign species (a native of southern Asia and northern
provinces of China) derives both its common and specific names
from the same word. The Endive and the Succory are the only two
species in the genus
Cichorium. Succory was known to
the Romans and eaten by them as a vegetable or in salads, its
use in this way being mentioned by Horace, Virgil, Ovid, and
Pliny.
Cichorium is used as a food plant by the larvae of
some Lepidoptera species including Setaceous Hebrew Character
and Turnip Moth.
Parts used:
Root, flowering herb.
Constituens:
A special
bitter principle,
not named, inulin and sugar.
Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Root.
Edible Uses: Coffee.
Leaves - raw or cooked. The leaves are rather
bitter,
especially when the plants are flowering. The leaves are often
blanched by excluding light, either by removing all the leaves
and then earthing up the new growth, or by covering the plant
with a bucket or something similar. Whilst this greatly reduces
any bitterness,
there is also a corresponding loss of vitamins and minerals.
The blanched leaves are often used in winter salads (they are
known as chicons) and are also cooked. The unblanched leaves
are much less bitter in
winter and make an excellent addition to salads at this time
of year. A nutritional analysis of the leaves is available.
Flowers - raw. An attractive addition to the salad bowl, but
rather bitter.
Root - cooked like parsnip. The boiled young roots form a very
palatable vegetable. The root is said to be an ideal food for
diabetics because of its inulin content. Inulin is a starch that
cannot be digested by humans, it tends to pass straight through
the digestive system
and is therefore unlikely to be of use to a diabetic. However,
the inulin can be used to make a sweetener that is suitable
for diabetics to use. Chicory-root is free of harmful ingredients,
and is essentially
a concentrated combination of three sugars (pentose, levulose
and dextrose) along with taraxarcine (the bitter principle
of dandelion). It is especially important as source of levulose.
Roots are used in seasoning soups, sauces and gravies, and
to impart a rich deep colour. The roasted root is used as a
caffeine-free coffee adulterant or substitute. Young roots
have a slightly bitter caramel
flavour when roasted, roots over 2 years old are much more bitter.
Medicinal Uses:
Appetizer;
Bach;
Cardiac;
Cholagogue;
Depurative;
Digestive;
Diuretic;
Hypoglycaemic;
Laxative;
Tonic;
Warts.
Chicory has a long history of herbal use and is especially
of great value for its tonic affect
upon the liver and digestive tract. It is little used in modern
herbalism, though it is often used as part of the diet. The
root and the leaves are
appetizer,
cholagogue,
depurative,
digestive,
diuretic,
hypoglycaemic,
laxative and
tonic.
The roots are more active medicinally. A decoction of the root
has proved to be of benefit in the treatment of jaundice, liver
enlargement, gout and rheumatism. A decoction of the freshly
harvested plant is used for treating gravel. The root can be
used fresh or dried, it is best harvested in the autumn. The
leaves are harvested as the plant comes into flower and can
also be dried for later use. The root extracts have experimentally
produced a slower and weaker heart rate (pulse). The plant
merits research for use in heart irregularities. The plant
is used in
Bach flower
remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Possessiveness',
'Self-love' and 'Self-pity'. The latex in
the stems is applied to warts in
order to destroy them.
Others Uses:
Biomass;
Compost.
The roots have the potential to be used for the production
of
biomass for
industrial use. They are rich in the starch 'inulin' which
can easily be converted to alcohol. A blue dye has
been obtained from the leaves. The flowers are an alternative
ingredient of 'QR' herbal compost activator.
This is a dried and powdered mixture of several herbs that
can be added to a compost heap
in order to speed up bacterial activity and thus shorten
the time needed to make the compost.
Preparation:
Decoction:
Use 1 tsp. rootstock or
herb per 1/2 cup of cold water; bring to a boil and strain.
Take 1 to 1 1/2 cups a day, a mouthful at a time.
Juice: take 1 tbsp. in milk or water, 3 times
per day.
Safety:
Excessive and continued use may impair function of the retina.
