Wednesday 31 July 2013

Common chicory


Common chicory, (Cichorium intybus), is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant usually with bright blue flowers. When flowering, chicory has a tough, grooved, and more or less hairy stem, from 30 to 100 centimetres (10 to 40 in) tall. The leaves are stalked, lanceolate and unlobed. The flower heads are 2 to 4 centimetres (0.79 to 1.6 in) wide, and usually bright blue, rarely white or pink. There are two rows of involucral bracts; the inner are longer and erect, the outer are shorter and spreading. It flowers from July until October.The achenes have no pappus (feathery hairs), but do have toothed scales on top.

It grows wild on the Trans Pennine Trail - see it in situ on Hyde Daily Photo.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday.

5 comments:

  1. While I have had Chicory coffee I have never seen the plant growing, thanks for the enlightenment!

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  2. uncommonly lovely
    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

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  3. Such a pretty flower on it.

    Leslie
    abcw team

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  4. It also grows near the windmills of Kinderdijk, not far from here. Beautiful flower.
    Wil, ABCW Team.

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  5. So like a whirling dervish!! Beautiful!!

    My Post Is Here

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