SafePlants

Common Beet (Beta vulgaris)

The common beet, scientifically known as Beta vulgaris, is a well-known plant belonging to the Amaranthaceae family. It's cultivated worldwide and used in a variety of culinary applications.

Considerations for Pets

• The text mentions "beet root cultivars for the garden" indicating a common presence of beets in home gardens.
• Several edible parts such as leaves and roots are common.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Beta vulgaris L.
• Family: Amaranthaceae (formerly Chenopodiaceae)
• Common Names: Common beet, beetroot, chard, European sugar beet, red beet.
• Subspecies: Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima (sea beet), Beta vulgaris ssp. adanensis
• Cultivars: seakale-beet, Swiss chard, rhubarb chard
• Synonyms: The text refers to "common beet" and "beetroot" interchangeably, suggesting they are commonly used synonyms.

Distribution and Habitat

• The common beet originates from the south of Europe.
• Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima (sea beet) grows mostly in southwestern Europe. It used to be rare in the Netherlands.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Beets are herbaceous biennial root vegetables.
• The plant is usually erect with a long.
• It is a biennial Eurasian plant usually having a swollen edible root.

Ecological Role

• The text mentions "weed control" in association with beet crops, suggesting that beets may be susceptible to competition from weeds. It also mentions herbicides.

Culinary Uses

• Beets are widely used in cooking. Beet soup, such as borscht, is popular in Eastern Europe.
• In Indian cuisine, chopped, cooked, spiced beet is a common side dish.

Genetic/Cytological Information

• The text references beta-Glucosidase of leaves and roots of the common beet Beta vulgaris.

Further Information

• Webster's Dictionary, WordNet Lexical Database, and the Fine Dictionary are mentioned as resources for defining "common beet."