Chicory

I- Nomenclature
Latin name: Cichorium intybus
Family : Astéraceae
Common names: Chicory
Etymology
Chicory comes from the Greek “kikhorion” then from the Latin “cichorium” “Intibus” from the Greek “entubion”: wild chicory.


II- Legends and traditions

Legends and traditions
Uprooted on June 29 or July 25 to be precise, with a gold coin or a deer's horn, chicory allows those who pull it out to make them know the qualities desired by the loved one.
The chicory root, pulled out according to a particular ritual, is the talisman of those who go on an expedition.
History
Chicory is mentioned in the Ebers papyrus, one of the oldest Egyptian texts, 4000 BC as a precious remedy and plant protecting against evil spells.


III- Botanical description

Description: Perennial messicole herbaceous plant in its natural state of 30 to 1.20m with single, straight and hairy stems very branched.
The root is brown with white flesh, fleshy and spindle-shaped.
The basal leaves are very indented and arranged in a rosette. The upper leaves are smaller.
The flowers are pale blue ligulate with 5 teeth grouped in axillary and terminal heads.
The fruits are achenes topped with a tassel of hairs.
Habitat: Chicory grows on limestone soils in fields, scree, wasteland, embankments and roadsides.
Harvest: The roots are harvested in spring or autumn. They attract moisture and should be stored in a dry place.
Parts used: Leaves (before flowering) and roots


IV- Active ingredients






V- Therapeutic uses

Properties



Indications
Spring cure
Minor hepatic failure with constipation
Jaundice
Chronic skin disease: sores, purulent rashes, dermatoses.

Dosage
Decoction or Infusion of roots: 15 to 60g / liter of water, one cup before meals.

Infusion: dry leaves or decoction of fresh leaves: 8 to 15 g / liter of water.

Syrup: express leaves and roots, 100 gr of plant for ½ liter of water, boil 5 minutes, in fuser 10 minutes. Add 500g of sugar. Reduce over low heat until you obtain a syrup. Take 2 to 4 teaspoon depending on age.

Fresh juice: 30 to 250gr with equal portions of fumitory, watercress, lettuce.

Tincture: macerate in a liter of alcohol at 45 ° C, 20 grams of leaves and root, 20 grams of oregano for 30 days in the sun. Use in friction 3 to 4 times a day in case of gout or paralysis.

Febrifuge wine: chicory seeds reduced to powder and mixed with wine.


VI- Precaution of use

Contraindication
None known
Caution
Overuse of chicory causes burns of the esophagus and stomach.
People prone to gallstones only on medical advice.


VII- Suggestion box
Capuchin beard: winter salad obtained by forcing wild chicory roots placed in layers of manure, in the dark, in a cellar for example. This forcing causes the growth of etiolated, long, narrow leaves. Varieties selected for this use have a long straight root. This culture had developed a lot around Paris in the middle of the 19th century, in particular in Montreuil.