Collected on this Day in 1952

Collected on this Day in 1952

Collected on July 28, 1952, this specimen was found near Nicktown, Cambria County by Hiliary Kline. Chicory (Cichorium intybus) was introduced from Eurasia and is a common roadside plant in Pennsylvania. Its bright blue flowers open in the morning and close by the afternoon. Chicory has a long history as a food source for humans, and there are several domesticated varieties. One such example is radicchio, which you can find in many grocery store salad mixes. Chicory roots have also been used as a coffee substitute or an additive to coffee grounds, and they are sold at some grocery stores.  Chicory was famously used as a coffee substitute by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War.

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Botanists at Carnegie Museum of Natural History share pieces of the herbarium’s historical hidden collection on the dates they were discovered or collected. Check back for more!