''Cicerbita'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of flowering plants in the family
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
, native to Asia and Europe.
Tropicos, ''Cicerbita'' Wallr.
/ref> They are known commonly as blue sow thistles.[Genus ''Cicerbita'' Wallr.]
Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). The word ''Cicerbita'' is from the Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, meaning "chickory-like", a comparison to ''Cichorium
''Cichorium'' is a genus of plants in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae. The genus includes two cultivated species commonly known as chicory or endive, plus several wild species.
Common chicory (''Cichorium intybus'') is a bush ...
'', the chicory
Common chicory ('' Cichorium intybus'') is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Native to the Old World, it has been introduced to North America and Austra ...
genus.[Scartezzini, F., et al. (2012)]
Domestication of alpine blue-sow-thistle (''Cicerbita alpina'' (L.) Wallr.): six year trial results.
''Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution'' 59(3) 465-71.
Description
''Cicerbita'' are usually perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
s, often with rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
s.[''Cicerbita''.]
Flora of China. Annual species are also known.[Bano, R. and M. Qaiser. (2010)]
The genus ''Cicerbita'' Wallr. (Cichoriae-Asteraceae) in Pakistan and Kashmir.
''Pakistan Journal of Botany'' 42, 35-56. The leaves are undivided or pinnate
Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...
. The flower head
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
has 5 to 30 florets in shades of blue or purple, or occasionally white[ or yellow.][ The ]achene
An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...
is ribbed and has a pappus of bristles and hairs.[
]
Systematics
The plants of this genus were included in genus ''Lactuca
''Lactuca'', commonly known as lettuce, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. The genus includes at least 50 species, distributed worldwide, but mainly in temperate Eurasia.
Its best-known representative is the garden lettuce ...
'', the lettuce
Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, ...
s, until 1822,[Chu, S. (1991)]
On circumscription of the genus ''Cicerbita'' Wall., and two new genera of Compositae from Sino-Himalayan Region.
''Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica'' 29(5) 394-417. when the first of them were separated based on the morphology
Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to:
Disciplines
* Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts
* Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...
of the fruits.[ The definition of the genus is still in debate and very unclear.
]
Accepted species
Kew accepts 42 Species (as of November 2022).Cicerbita chiangdaoensis
''Cicerbita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and Europe. They are known commonly as blue sow thistles. '' H.Koyama – Thailand
* ''Cicerbita gmelini
''Cicerbita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and Europe. They are known commonly as blue sow thistles. '' Beauverd – Altay Republic
* '' Cicerbita nepalensis'' Kitag. – Nepal
* '' Cicerbita nuristanica'' Kitam. – Afghanistan
* ''Cicerbita oligolepis
''Cicerbita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and Europe. They are known commonly as blue sow thistles. '' Chang ex C.Shih – Yunnan
* ''Cicerbita thianschanica
''Cicerbita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and Europe. They are known commonly as blue sow thistles. '' (Regel & Schmalh.) Beauverd – Altay Republic, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang
* ''Cicerbita unicostata
''Cicerbita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and Europe. They are known commonly as blue sow thistles. '' Kitam. – Afghanistan
* ''Cicerbita violaefolia
''Cicerbita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and Europe. They are known commonly as blue sow thistles. '' (Decne.) Beauverd – western Himalayas
* ''Cicerbita zeravschanica
''Cicerbita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and Europe. They are known commonly as blue sow thistles. '' Popov ex Kovalevsk. – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
Uses
''Cicerbita alpina
''Cicerbita alpina'', commonly known as the alpine sow-thistle or alpine blue-sow-thistle is a perennial herbaceous species of plant sometimes placed in the genus '' Cicerbita'' of the family Asteraceae, and sometimes placed in the genus ''Lactuc ...
'' is eaten as a vegetable
Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...
in Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, part of its native range. The young shoots are boiled and served in olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
or tomato sauce
Tomato sauce (also known as ''salsa roja'' in Spanish or ''salsa di pomodoro'' in Italian) can refer to many different sauces made primarily from tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a dish, rather than as a condiment. Tomato sauces are c ...
. They are considered a delicacy
A delicacy is usually a rare and expensive food item that is considered highly desirable, sophisticated, or peculiarly distinctive within a given culture. Irrespective of local preferences, such a label is typically pervasive throughout a r ...
and can be had in restaurants.[Scartezzini, F., et al]
Domestication and field management trials of ''Cicerbita alpina'' (L.) Wallr.
In: First International Conference on Crop Wild Relative Conservation and Use. September 14–17, 2005. Agrigento, Sicily, Italy. pg. 14-17. The shoots in oil can be purchased in markets under the local name ''insalata dell'orso'' ("bear salad").[ The plant is collected from the wild and there is some concern that it may be threatened with ]overexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to replenish. The term app ...
, so local ordinances now limit wild collection in some areas. Field trials are underway to examine the possibility of cultivating the plant in agriculture.[
]
References
Cichorieae
Asteraceae genera
Taxa named by Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Wallroth
{{Cichorieae-stub