COMPOSITE— COMPOSITE FAMILY 



CHICORY. SUCCORY 



Cichorium mtyhus 



Cichorium, from the Arabic name. 



Perennial. Naturalized from Europe. In waste places, 

 fields, often growing close to the wheel tracks of the 

 roadway. Nova Scotia to Minnesota, south to North 

 Carolina, Nebraska, and Missouri. July-October. 



Root. — Strong, deep-growing, tap-root, used when dried 

 as an adulterant of coffee. 



Stems. — Two to four feet high, rigid, branching, rising 

 from a rosette of leaves. 



Leaves. — Basal leaves form in autumn a large rosette 

 on the ground, often ten to twelve inches across. Three 

 to six inches long, spatulate or obovate, with deeply 

 cut or irregular margins narrowed into petioles. Upper 

 leaves of stems and branches lanceolate or oblong, lobed 

 or entire, clasping or eared at the base. 



Flower-heads. — Ligulate-composite, pale blue, an inch 

 or more across; all florets ray-flowers and fertile. Re- 

 ceptacle fiat. Bracts of involucre herbaceous in two 

 series; outer row somewhat spreading; inner row more 

 erect. Anthers arrow-shaped at base, style branches 

 slender. Akenes five-ribbed. Pappus of two or three 

 series of short, blunt scales. 



Pollinated by bees and flies. Nectar-bearing. 



" Not alone in upland pastures, dim and sweet, 

 But by the dusty road, where tired feet 

 Toil to and fro." 



Along the way, near the fence and often over it, 

 sometimes sharing with Ragweed the dust of the pass- 



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