Chicory belongs to the composite family, Asteraceae (Compositae), it is descended from the blue flowering chicory. Blue flower heads, dandelion leaf-like toothed,elongated, ovate leaves, taproot reaching up to 6 cm deep into the ground.
The dried, roasted and ground root was used until the Second World War as a coffee substitute, today mainly for fructose extraction.
The root, Cichorium intybus L radix, is used phytotherapeutically.