Key to Cichorium (from Kiers, A. M. 2000: Endive, Chicory and their wild relatives. A systematic and phylogenetic study of Cichorium (Asteraceae) Gorteria Suppl. 5: 53. Leiden 2000)

1a. Stems always well-developed. Capitula never situated among basal leaves. Basal leaves often absent during flowering time. Style and stigmatic lobes blue		2
1b. Plants growing in a cushion-like form, rarely with a few short stems arising from the cushion. Capitula 	sessile among basal leaves. basal leaves always present during flowering time. Style and stigmatic 	lobes white							C. bottae
2a Capitula with at least 9 florets. Inner phyllaries 8. Terminal branches never spiny	3
2b Capitula with up to 7 florest. Inner phyllaries 5. Most terminal branches spiny		C. spinosum
3a Most scales of the pappus stiffly erect to erecto-patent. All outer phyllaries of long peduncled capitula up to 		5 mm wide							4
3b Pappus scales apparently absent or smaller than 0.1 mm and then patent. One of the 5 outer phyllaries of 	most of the long peduncled capitula 8-15 mm wide				C. calvum
4a Pappus scales of inner florets longer than 0.7 mm and often ending in 0.5-2.0 mm long tips. Florets, when 		fully expanded, together forming a wide cup. Plants annual			5
4b Pappus scales always shorter than 0.6 mm. Florets, when fully expanded, forming a flat circle. Plants 		perennial								C. intybus
5a Florets 9-14. Capitula clustered in groups of 2(-4). Longest peduncles 4.0-8.0(-10) cm	C. pumilum
5b Florets 15-20. Capitula clustered in groups of 4-6(-8). Longest peduncles 9-20 cm	C. endivia