XVI. 



BETA VULGARIS. 



Common Beet. 



Class V. Pentandria. — Order II. Digynia, 



Nat. Ord. CHENOPODEiE. 



Gen. Chak. Perianth single, half-inferior, five-cleft, per- 

 sistent. Seed one, reniform, imbedded in the fleshy 

 calyx. 



Spec. Char. Flowers clustered. Lower leaves ovate. 

 Root fleshy. 



SYNONYM ES. 



Greek ...... nvrXev ; ffivrXov. 



/■ Beta rubra vulgaris. Bauh. Pin. 118. 

 Latin < Beta rubra romana. 'Ger. Em. 319. 



V. Beta vulgaris. Lin. Sp. PI. 322. 

 French. . . . Bette ; Betterave. 

 Italian .... Bieta ; Barbe brettola. 

 Spanish.... Acelga ; Remolacha. 

 German .... Beete ; Rothe riibe ; Mangold. 



Dutch Beet ; Biet. 



Polish Cwilka. 



Russ Swekla. 



Description. — The root is biennial ; fusiform, fleshy, shghtly 

 branched, and furnished with numerous capillary fibres. The 

 stem is upright, leafy, channelled, smooth, branched towards the 

 top, and rises to the height of three or four feet. The leaves 

 are alternate, and vary in figure according to their position ; 

 the lower ones are large, somewhat cordate, and obtuse ; as they 

 approach the top of the stem they become narrower and pointed, 

 and almost destitute of petioles ; they are all bright green, 

 smooth, and succulent. The flowers are disposed three or four 

 together, on long slender spikes, which spring from the axils 



