314 NATURAL HISTORY. 



FOURTH SUB-CLASS. 



APETAL.EA. Flowerless plants. Flowers inclosed in a 

 sheath. Mostly coarse, weed-like herbs; leaves alter- 

 nate ; flowers inconspicuous ; corolla none, the floral en- 

 velopes being mostly in single series (calyx), or some- 

 times wanting altogether. 



FIFTY-FIRST FAMILY. CHENOPODIA. (Linn.) 



The Common Beet (Beta vulgaris) has a reddish, 

 angular stem ; lower leaves ovate, oblong, wavy ; upper 

 ones lanceolate. The Sugar Beet grows wild every- 

 where in the neighborhood of the Mediterranean Sea ; 

 farther north cultivated in gardens for the purpose of 

 making sugar, and also as an esculent. The Germans 

 prepare both root and leaves in various ways, as pickles, 

 salads, etc. ; they call it Red Root. The White Beet, 

 Scarcity, or Mangel Wurtzel (B. cicle) is cultivated as 

 food for cattle. The Burgundy Beet (Runkle rube) is 

 much valued as a table vegetable. Both are nearly 

 related to the Sugar Beet : the root of which is yellow- 

 ish. The beet is said to yield sugar equal to that of the 

 cane ; but as long as the Sugar Maple and the Sugar 

 Cane exists to supply us with that important article, it 

 is not probable that the Beet will be much relied on. 

 The beet sugar is said to rank next to that of the West 

 India. $ . 



Spinnage (Spinacea oleracea). Leaves arrow-shaped ; 

 root resembles that of the white beet; flowers greenish. 

 Brought by the Arabs into Spain, it is now in general 

 use as a favorite vegetable. $ . 



Samphire or Salt Wort (Salsola kali). Stalk about 

 one or two feet high, diffuse; leaves small, spiky; flow- 



