3S6 CHENOPODIACE^ 



growth in the six months during which the mangel is growing 

 in this country. 



Sometimes it is assumed that mangels with yellowish zones of 

 parenchyma, such as is present in the Golden Tankard variety, are 

 richer than those with quite white flesh. This, however, is an 

 error, as very frequently white-fleshed varieties, e.g. most sugar- 

 beets, are much richer than those with yellow or crimson flesh. 

 There appears to be no direct connection between the colour of 

 the ' flesh ' and sugar-content. 



The sugar is not evenly distributed in the tissues of the 

 mangel, the rough ' neck ' contains much less than the rest of the 

 ' root.' Moreover, the greatest amount of sugar is present in the 

 cell-sap of the parenchyma lying close to the vascular ring, the cells 

 in the middle of the zone of parenchyma between two successive 

 rings of vascular tissue being comparatively poor in this sub- 

 stance. The richest mangels are therefore those in which the 

 vascular rings are most closely placed together, and in which the 

 parenchyma, poor in sugar, is consequently reduced to a minimum. 

 For ' roots ' of the same diameter the best kind are those which 

 have the greatest number of vascular rings. 



Inflorescence. — During the first year the mangel usually 

 stores up reserve-food in its hypocotyl and root, and the stem 

 above the cotyledons remains short and bears a number of leaves 

 in a close rosette. 



In the following year the terminal bud and axillary buds of 

 this very short stem send up strong leafy angular stems which 

 rise to a height of 3 feet or more, and these and their branches 

 terminate in inflorescences. 



The inflorescence consists of an elongated axis upon which at 

 short intervals the flowers are arranged in dense sessile clusters, 

 each containing from two to seven flowers {A, Fig. 113) ; below 

 each cluster is a small bract. 



The Flower {B, Fig. 113) is epigynous and about \ of an 

 inch in diameter. It is bisexual and possesses a small green 



