MANGEL WURZEL OR FIELD BEET 35;^ 



five-leaved perianth, the lower part of which is united with the 

 fleshy receptacle. The androecium consists of five stamens 

 opposite to the perianth. 



The ovary of the gynaecium is 

 sunk partially in the fleshy 

 receptacle and contains a single 

 ovule (C, Fig. 113). 



The flowers of the mangel and 

 beet are protandrous, and flowers 

 ' set ' no fruit if specially isolated 

 or prevented from receiving pollen 

 from neighbouring flowers. Cross- 

 polUnation appears to be effected 

 by the agency of small insects and 

 the wind. 



The Fruit. — After fertilisation 

 the fleshy receptacle and base of 

 Fig. IX3.-.4, Portion of the inflores- ^hc perianth of each flower enlarge 

 "ron="a'„d one closed flower of 'considerably and the separate 

 "■^sf- .-,.•,« r. I flowers in each cluster become 



C, Vertical section of a flower, o Ovule. 



zi, Cluster of two fruits developed from more Or less firmlv United with 



flowers of B. buch clusters constitute ' 



commercial mangel ' seeds.' each Other (Z>, Fig. II 3). The 



fleshy parts with the imbedded ovaries eventually turn hard and 

 woody, and the clusters of spurious fruits finally fall off or are 

 thrashed off the long axis of the inflorescence and come into 

 the market as ' seeds.' 



The latter are in reality collections of two or more spurious 

 fruits. Each spurious fruit consists of the hardened receptacle 

 and perianth with the ripened gynaecium containing a single 

 seed, and as several of these fruits may be present in each 

 commercial ' seed ' it will be readily understood that when one 

 of the latter is sown several seedlings may spring from it. 

 This peculiarity necessitates the separate hand thinning of a 

 young crop of mangels, otherwise by growing so closely together 



