Chicory
species of plant From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Common chicory (Cichorium intybus)[4] is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the dandelion family Asteraceae. It usually has bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink.[3]
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.[5]
Chicory is grown as a forage crop for livestock.[6] It lives as a wild plant on roadsides in its native Europe, and is now common in North America, China, and Australia, where it has become widely introduced.[7][8][9]
"Chicory" is also the common name in the United States for curly endive (Cichorium endivia). These two closely related species are often confused.[10]
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References
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