is considered a weed by most. It's common chicory, a very useful plant that is used in coffee in the deep South and also as a coffee substitute. It is also sometimes added to beer. Its root and leaves may be eaten, although the leaves are usually cooked to remove some of the bitterness. It is related to Belgian endive and radicchio. The plant isn't much to see but the flowers are a beautiful purple-blue--and they are aethereal, as they close when brought indoors or on cloudy days. Indeed, in Linnaeus' flower clock, chicory was used due to the regularity of its blooming time.
The picture to the right was snapped by me this morning on the way to the bus stop. The one below (a close-up that is much better), is by Alvesgaspar (Joaquim Alves Gaspar), who placed it on the Wikimedia Commons and licensed it under the Creative Commons 2.5 Generic Licence.
Okay, I think I'd better go. A storm has blown up with lots of thunder and lightning. Hope the electricity stays on.
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