''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, 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 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 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'', the lettuces, 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). Some selected species; * ''

Cicerbita canadensis ''Lactuca canadensis'' is a species of wild lettuce known by the common names Canada lettuce, Canada wild lettuce, tall lettuce, and Florida blue lettuce.Weakley, Alan S''. Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States.'' UNC Herbarium, North Car ...

'' (L.) Farw. – eastern and central parts of Canada and USA * ''

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'' Beauverd –

Altay Republic The Altai Republic (; russian: Респу́блика Алта́й, Respublika Altay, ; Altai: , ''Altay Respublika''), also known as Gorno-Altai Republic, and colloquially, and primarily referred to in Russian to distinguish from the neighbour ...

* ''

Cicerbita nepalensis ''Cicerbita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and Europe. They are known commonly as blue sow thistles.

'' Kitag. – Nepal * ''

Cicerbita nuristanica ''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 oligolepis'' Chang ex C.Shih – Yunnan * '' Cicerbita thianschanica'' (Regel & Schmalh.) Beauverd –

, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang * '' Cicerbita unicostata'' Kitam. – Afghanistan * '' Cicerbita violaefolia'' (Decne.) Beauverd – western Himalayas * '' Cicerbita zeravschanica'' 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, ...

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 ...

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 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 A field trial is a competitive event for gundogs. Field trials are conducted for pointing dogs and setters, retrievers and spaniels, with each assessing the different types various working traits. In the United States, field trials are also con ...

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