1887] History of Garden Vegetables. 707 
WHITE, OR Common BEET. r 
Beta alba lactuce & rumicis folio, etc. Adv., 1570, 93. 
B. alba vel pallescens, quam Cicla officin. Bauh., Pin., 1623, 
118 
White Beet. Ray, 1686, 204. 
Beta cicla.. L., Sp., 1774, 322. 
Common White-Leaved. Mawe, 1778. 
White-Leaved. McMahon, 1806, 187. 
Spinach-Beet. Loudon, 1860. 
Poirée blonde ou commune. Vilm., 1883, 421. 
# 
This beet, a native of Sicily, near the sea-coast, as well as the 
shores of Spain and Portugal, was introduced into England in 
1570" It seems closely allied to the Swiss chard. 
Swiss CHARD. 
Beta alba? 3. Gerarde, 1597, 251. i 
Tj he Sicilian Broad-Leaved Beet: Ray, 1686, 205. 
White Beet. Townsend, 1 726. 
Chard, or Great White Swiss Beet. Mawe, 1778. 
Swiss, or Chard Beet. Mill. Dict., 1807. 
Swiss Chard, or Silver Beet. Buist, 1851. 
Silver-Leaf Beet. Burr, 1863, 292. 
Poirée à carde blanche, Wilm., 1883, 421. 
This is deemed by Ray to have been known to Gerarde (1597), 
for Gerarde, in his “ Herbal,” indicates the sportive character of 
the seed as to color, and mentions a height which is only at- 
tained by this plant. He calls it“ 3 .. . another sort hereof 
_ that was brought unto me from beyonde the seas,” and particu- 
4 larly Notices the great breadth of the stalk; but the color par- 
ticularly noticed is the red sort. Ray gives as a synonyme Beta 
Walica Parkinson, 1629 or 1640. It is quite variable in the stalks, 
= according to the culture received. 
Sitver-LeaF BEET. 
Poirée blonde @ carde blanche. Nil., 1883. 
-__ A lighter green form of the Swiss chard, as described by Vil- 
_ Morin, but with shorter and much broader stalk. Itseemstobe = 
_ = Variety within the changes which can be effected by selection = 
‘nd culture, and perhaps can be referred to the Chilian type. ae 
" Booth, Treas. of Bot.; Loudon, Hort.; McIntosh, Book of the Gard, fi. 139. pee 
