Chicory
Cichorium intybus

f11 @ 1/1250s, ISO:1250, Nikon D3S w 105mm macro

"Chicory," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.Common chicory,is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the dandelion family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or roots (var. sativum), which 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 fiber. Chicory is grown as a forage crop for livestock. 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 naturalized. "Chicory" is also the common name in the United States for curly endive (Cichorium endivia); these two closely related species are often confused.

Francis A. Crane Wildlife Management Area, East Falmouth, Massachusetts

07/17/2019