Endive ( ) is a cultivated species from the Asteraceae family, commonly grown for its tender leaves, being either biennial or annual.Its scientific name is Cichorium endivia L., with 100g of fresh young leaves containing 95.1g water, 1.2g protein, 77mg calcium, and other vitamins and nutrients.It can be eaten raw, cooked, or used in soups.The leaf of endive is needle-like.Its capitulum consists of about 20 small flowers with pale purple corollas; the pistil has bifid stigma, light blue in color, while there are five stamens fused into a tube, and their anthers are also light blue.The seeds are short cylindrical, grayish white, with each thousand weighing approximately 1.6g.Its seed viability can last up to ten years; in production, seeds saved for 1-3 years are often used for sowing.
