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Felicia amelloides - Kasni
Kasni is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant of the dandelion family Asteraceae, usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Many varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or roots (var. sativum), which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive. It is also grown as a forage crop for livestock.[1] Kasni is is also known as Common chicory, Cichorium intybus, succory, blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailors etc[2]
Description
When flowering, chicory has a tough, grooved, and more or less hairy stem, from 30 to 100 cm (10 to 40 in) tall. The leaves are stalked, lanceolate and unlobed. The flower heads are 2 to 4 cm (0.79 to 1.6 in) wide, and usually bright blue, rarely white or pink. Of the two rows of involucral bracts, the inner is longer and erect, the outer is shorter and spreading. It flowers from July until October.
Uses
- Chicory is well known for its toxicity to internal parasites. Studies indicate that ingestion of chicory by farm animals results in reduction of worm burdens.
- Chicory (especially the flower), used as a folk medicine in Germany, is recorded in many books as an ancient German treatment for everyday ailments.
- Chicory contains inulin, which may help humans with weight loss, constipation, improving bowel function and general health.
- Chicory has been listed as one of the 38 plants that are used to prepare Bach flower remedies,[3] a kind of alternative medicine.
Common name
- English - blue daisy
- Kannada - ಚಿಕೊರಿ
- Hindi - कासनी
