Cichorium endivia

Annual, sometimes biennial herb containing bitter milky juice, producing a shortened stem with a rosette of large leaves when young. Rosette leaves alternate, sessile, thinly pubescent or glabrous, yellow or light to dark green, sometimes reddish along midrib, in escarole types, leaf-blade broadened, 10-25 cm x 8-15 cm, slightly crumpled, margin entire or dentate, in curly-leaved types, leaf-blade reduced, very narrow, deeply pinnatifid and strongly curled, both types form a loose head, usually creamy in the centre. In the generative stage, endive produces an erect branched stem, 50-150 cm high, with progressively smaller leaves. Inflorescence a terminal or axillary head, 1-3 together, sessile or peduncled, blue-flowered, involucre with outer row of 5 bracts, and inner row of 8 bracts, flowers all ligulate, numerous, stamens 5 with anthers fused. Fruit an obovate achene, 2-3.5 mm x 1 mm, with pappus of minute persistent membranous scales.