C 539 3
CICHORIUM Intybus.
W ild Succory.
S Y N G E N E S IA Polygamia-aqualis.
G en. Char. Receptacle flightly chaffy. Cal. fur-
rounded with fcales. Seed crowned with teeth.
Spec. Char. Flowers feflile, in pairs. Leaves run-
cinate.
S yn. Cichorium Intybus. Linn. Sp. PI. 1 142. Hudf. 348.
With. 693. Relb. 302. Sibth. 243. Curt. Lond.
fafc. 4. t. 56. Mart. Fl. Ruß. t. 144.
C. fylveftre. Ran Syn. 172.
\ T
• V i i -n Y c?mmon In the borders o f fields, by road fides, and
m all ill cultivated or wafte land, preferring however fomething
o f a calcareous foil, and flowering in July or Auguft.
Root perennial, flefhy, tap-fhaped, often branched, running
deep into the ground, milky. Stem 2 or 3 feet high, ereft, hard
and tough, wand-like, alternately branched, angular above,
briftly, producing many flowers, for the moft part in pairs, and
accompanied by fmall ftem-clafping leaves. The radical leaves
are numerous, fpreading, long, runcinate, roughifh. Flowers
feflile, large and handfome, of a brilliant fky blue, rarely white,
compofed of numerous, ligulate, 5 -toothed florets. Common
calyx of ere<ft, parallel, linear leaves, with a rough keel, reflexed
as the feeds ripen, furrounded at the bafe with a feries of
fhorter leaves or fcales. Receptacle punctate, and fcattered
with a few chaffy hairs. Seeds angular, crowned with feveral
fhort chaffy teeth.
When Mr. Curtis defcribed the Wild Succory he confidered
it as a beautiful but noxious weed, and fo it was generally confidered.
Dr. Withering mentions it as eatable in fallads, and
that the dried roots will make bread; adding, after the Amoeni-
tates Academica;, that flieep, goats, and fwine eat it, but cows
and horfes refbfe it. This laft is amiftake. The belt account of
the agricultural ufes of the Succory are in Profeflor Martyn’s
too much negle&ed Flora Rujlica, where its culture and ufes are
detailed. I have been an eye-witnefs to the experiments made
m France upon this plant, its luxuriant growth when cultivated,
and its value as an early fodder for hones and cows.