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Cichorium intybus L.

Overview
General Information
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Family :

Famille :

Asteraceae

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

Chicory

(English) (Darbyshire 2003; USDA-ARS 2022)
Chicorée sauvage (French) (Darbyshire 2003; CABI 2023)
Chicorée (French) (USDA-ARS 2022; CABI 2023)
Ju ju 菊苣 (Chinese) (FOC 1994+)
Achicorias (Spanish) (CABI 2023)
Almeirao (Portuguese) (CABI 2023)

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) achenes

  • Chicory (Cichorium intybus) achenes

  • Chicory (Cichorium intybus) achenes

  • Chicory (Cichorium intybus) achene

  • Chicory (Cichorium intybus) achene; top-down view

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Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

    Regulation Notes:

    Distribution :

    Répartition :

    Cichorium intybus is native to Europe, temperate Asia, India, Pakistan, northern Africa, and naturalized in northern Europe, parts of Africa, China, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of South America (USDA-ARS 2022). It is naturalized in the southwestern, central and northeastern United States (USDA-ARS 2022) and is naturalized across Canada except for the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut (Brouillet 2010+).

    Habitat and Crop Association :

    Habitat et Cultures Associées :

    This species can be invasive in disturbed areas within pastures, grassy slopes, roadsides, fields and along dry creek beds (FNA 1993+; Ionescu et al. 2015; Bussmann et al. 2020).

    Cichorium intybus was imported into the United States in the mid-18th century, escaped cultivation to invade disturbed areas, contaminating grass and Trifolium spp. (clover) seed that prompted a control program in the early 20th century (Zavada et al. 2017).

    Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

    Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :

    Cichorium intybus is cultivated in Europe, Sudan, India, Myanmar, Australia, New Zealand , Canada and the United States (USDA-ARS 2022). Cultivars are selected either for roots used as a coffee substitute and inulin production, or for large leaves used as a vegetable or forage (Kiers 2000; Inoescu et al. 2015).

    C. intybus has a long history of medicinal and culinary use, first described by Roman botanists, and was utilized frequently in the Medieval area to support digestion, for wound care, a coffee substitute and vegetable, among other uses (Kiers 2000, Bussman et al. 2020). The root was historically roasted and used as a coffee substitute or as a flour to bake bread when wheat was not available.

    Two varieties and 4 cultivar groups have been developed:

    • C. intybus var. sativum (Bisch.) Janch., has large roots that appear beet-like due to breeding selection (Kiers 2000).
    • C. intybus var. foliosum Hegi, cultivated for the large, undivided leaves, are in 3 cultivar groups: Witloof, Pain de Sucre and Radicchio (Kiers 2000). The leaves of this variety are also used as a nutritious forage (Ionescu et al. 2015).

    Duration of Life Cycle :

    Durée du cycle vital:

    Perennial

    Dispersal Unit Type :

    Type d’unité de dispersion :

    Achene

    General Information

    RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

    C. intybus generally produces 1-15 achenes per flower head, most have 4-12 achenes (Ionescu et al. 2015). This species is self-incompatible and requires pollen from another plant to set seed. (Kiers 2000).

    Variation in the flowers and density of hairs were observed in local populations of C. intybus and was believed to form two subspecies: C. intybus subsp. glabratum and C. intybus L. subsp. intybus (Gemeinholzer and Bachmann 2005). Studies found this variation was due to environmental response without genetic support for classification to subspecies level (Gemeinholzer and Bachmann 2005). C. intybus populations in North America have a complex admixture of domestic and wild type genetics, and are believed to be cultivated species that reverted back to a wild form (Zavada et al. 2017).

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    Identification

    Identification

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    • Achene

      Size

      • Achene length*: 1.9 – 2.7 mm; width: 1.0 – 1.7 mm

      Size from literature:
      • Length: 2–3 mm (FNA 1993+)
      • Length: 1.5-2.4 mm (Ionescu et al. 2015)
      • Achene pappus length: 0.01–0.2 mm (FNA 1993+)
      • Pappus length 0.6 mm or shorter (Kiers 2000)

      *Note: minimum and maximum of 10 achenes in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

      Shape

      • Achenes are generally rectangular with one narrow end or wedge-shaped, some appear cylindrical
      • Ends of achene are truncate
      • Achenes from the outside of the flower head are more compressed with large ridges on either side, appearing like wings

      Surface Texture

      • Surface roughened with transverse ridges visible under 30x and higher magnification
      • Achene has several longitudinal ridges that combine into 5 large ridges at the narrow end

      Colour

      • Achenes are generally dull light brown with sparse or dense dark brown mottles and patches
      • Some achenes are solid light brown or dark brown coloured
      • Pappus light brown coloured

      Other Features

      • Pappus scales in one or two rows (Kiers 2000)

      Chicory (Cichorium intybus) achenes

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    • Seed

      Size

      • Seed length*: 1.9 – 2.6 mm; width: 0.8 – 1.1 mm
      *Note: minimum and maximum of 6 seeds in a normal range of this species using specimen measurement (ISMA 2020)

      Shape

      • Seed wedge-shaped or oblong with one narrow end, compressed

      Surface Texture

      • Seed smooth, microscopically wrinkled under 30x and higher magnification
      • Seed coat has a ridged reticulate pattern

      Colour

      • Seed is shiny yellowish or brown coloured
      • The thin seed coat is whitish coloured

      Other Features

      • Hilum not visible
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    • Embryo

      Size

      • Embryo fills the seed

      Shape

      • Embryo spatulate shaped

      Endosperm

      • Nutritive tissue is contained in the cotyledons (Martin 1946)

      Other Features

      • Embryo in axial position

    Identification Tips

    CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

    Achenes of Cichorium spp. are generally wedge-shaped, with longitudinal ridges that are pronounced at the narrow end, and a persistent pappus composed of short scales.

    C. intybus achenes can be distinguished from the similar species C. endivia by the shorter pappus, and that it is unlikely for C. endivia achenes to contaminate crop seed as it is rarely found outside of plantings (FNA 1993+). The achenes can be distinguished from C. calvum by a longer pappus and mottled colour pattern.

    Chicory (Cichorium intybus) achene

    Additional Botany Information

    AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

    Flowers/Inflorescence

    • Flower 15–25 mm diameter, generally bluish coloured, may be white (Bussmann et al. 2020)
    • All flowers in the flower head are ligulate (flowers with corolla fused into one long, strap-like petal)
    • Tips of the petals are truncate with 5 pointed lobes (FNA 1993+)

    Vegetative Features

    • Plants 20-150 cm tall
    • Stems arise from a whorl of leaves on the ground, leaf length: 5–35+ cm; width: 1–8(–12+) cm (FNA 1993+)
    • Lower leaves generally divided into triangular lobes, cultivated varieties have larger, undivided leaves

    Similar Species

    ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES

    Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.

    Cichorium endivia L.

    This annual species is only known from cultivation and does not have a native range (Kiers 2000; USDA-ARS 2022). Plants may be found as escapes from fields or gardens (FNA 1993+) but there is no record of established populations.

    The achenes are a similar size (length*: 2.1 – 2.8 mm; width: 1.1 – 1.6 mm), but have a longer pappus (length: 0.7 – 1.0 mm), some scales with long tips (length: ½ – 1 ½ mm) (Kiers 2000). This difference in pappus length is the primary feature to distinguish this species from C. intybus. The flowers are purple-coloured (FNA 1993+).

    *Note: minimum and maximum of 10 achenes in a normal range of this species using image measurement (ISMA 2020)

    Cichorium calvum Asch.

    This annual species is native to Egypt, Pakistan, Israel and Iran (USDA-ARS 2022), but can be difficult to distinguish due to feature overalp with C. intybus and C. endivia (Kiers 2000; Verloove 2022). It seems to be a common contaminant of Trifolium alexandrinum (berseem clover) and T. resupinatum (Persian clover) seed from Egypt, and has been recorded in Germany and Austria (Verloove 2022).

    The achenes are a similar size (length: 2-2.5 mm; width 1.2-1.7 mm, Kiers 2000), but cone-shaped with a narrower end and shorter pappus compared to C. intybus (Kiers 2000; Verloove 2022). The pappus may be absent or a fringe of scales (length: less than 0.1 mm, Kiers 2000). The flower heads have a large, leaf-like bract beneath them (length: 10-20 mm; width: 8-15 mm) that C. intybus plants do not have (Kiers 2000).

    Cichorium pumilum Jacq.

    C. pumilum is native to the Mediterranean region, southwestern Europe and northern Africa, and is thought to be the ancestor of C. endivia (Kiers 2000; USDA-ARS 2022). The achenes are a similar size as C. intybus, and differ by the longer pappus (length: 0.15-2.0 mm) that can have with long tips (length: 0.5-2.0 mm) (Kiers 2000). The pappus of processed achenes appears to break easily, leaving a short fringe of bristle-like scales.

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    Reference(s)

    Référence(s)

    Brouillet, L., Coursol, F., Meades, S. J., Favreau, M., Anions, M., Bélisle, P. and Desmet, P. 2010+. VASCAN, the database of vascular plants of Canada. http://data.canadensys.net/vascan/ Accessed September 09, 2022.

    Bussmann, R.W., Batsatsashvili, K., Kikvidze, Z.,Paniagua-Zambrana,N.Y., Khutsishvili, M., Maisaia, I., Sikharulidze, S., and Tchelidze, D. 2020. Cichorium intybus L. In: K. Batsatsashvili et al. (eds.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Far Eastern Europe, Ethnobotany of Mountain Regions. pp. 297-306.

    Darbyshire, S. J. 2003. Inventory of Canadian Agricultural Weeds. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Branch. Ottawa, ON.

    Flora of China (FOC) 1994+. Cichorium intybus Vol. 20-21 Page 350 (English edition). http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200023652 Accessed October 24, 2023.

    Flora of North America (FNA) Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. New York and Oxford. http://beta.floranorthamerica.org. Accessed September 09, 2022.

    Gemeinholzer, B. and Bachmann, K. 2005. Examining morphological and molecular diagnostic character states of Cichorium intybus L. (Asteraceae) and C. spinosum L. Plant Systematics and Evolution 253: 105–123.

    International Seed Morphology Association (ISMA). 2020. Method for Seed Size Measurement. Version 1.0. ISMA Publication Guide.

    Ionescu, N., Ionescu S.G., Georgescu, M. and Penescu, A. 2015. Study on the variability of Cichorium intybus L. flowers and fruits. Current Trends in Natural Sciences 4: 6-12.

    Kiers A.M. 2000. Endive, chicory and their wild relatives. A systematic and phylogenetic study of Cichorium (Asteraceae), Gorteria Supplement 5: 77 pp.

    Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. The American Midland Naturalist 36: 513-660.

    U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS). 2022. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch  Accessed September 09, 2022.

    Verloove, F. 2022. Cichorium calvum. Manual of the Alien Plants of Belgium. Botanic Garden Meise, Belgium. www.alienplantsbelgium.be Accessed September 09, 2022.

    Author(s)

    AUTEUR(S)

    Jennifer Neudorf, Angela Salzl, Ruojing Wang

    Canadian Food Inspection Agency

     

    contactus@idseed.org

    Last updated
    on 2023-03-27

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