CICHORIUM PUMILUM

Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- Dwarf chicory

Homotypic Synonyms:- Cichorium endivia ssp. divaricatum

Meaning:- Cichorium (Gr) A name used by the Greek philosopher Theophrastrus

from the Arabic 'kesher' for chicory.

Pumilum (L) Dwarf.

General description:- Hairless, or somewhat stiffly-hairy, medium to tall annual or

biennial; stems branched, erect.

Stems:-

1) 5-50 cm.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, arranged in two rows along a common axis but not separated into distinct

leaflets, pinnately-lobed to deeply toothed.

a) lobes, pointing towards the base, runcinate-dentate, short-petiolate, hairy.

2) Upper, lanceolate, toothed or not, amplexicaul, very hairy on the main veins.

Flowers:-

1) 25-40 mm, borne in leafy branched spikes, the axillary stemless, the others

terminal, short petiolate, with only the ray-florets toothed at the top, pale bright

blue, seldom pink or white.

2) Peduncles, of the terminal capitula strongly thickened.

3) Involucre, with 2 rows of bracts, the 8 external ones fused, the

a) outer flower-bracts, only a half the length of the inner.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, none feathery, surmounted by a crown of scales.

2) Pappus-scales, 1/6-1/2 as long as the achene.

Key features:-

1) Peduncles, of the terminal capitula strongly thickened.

2) Pappus-scales, 1/6-1/2 as long as achene.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Cultivated and fallow fields, roadsides, occasionally in open dry shrubby

vegetation on eroded hill-sides, usually near the coast. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Scattered across the Mediterranean and through Anatolia to W & S

Iran. Scattered across Crete, not overly common.

Flowering time:- Mid-Apr to mid-July.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis