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''Beta vulgaris'' (beet) is a plant in the Amaranthaceae family (which is now included in Betoideae subfamily).〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=A synopsis of Chenopodiaceae subfam. Betoideae and notes on the taxonomy of Beta; USDA PLANTS )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Spinach, Beet and Swiss Chard - Notes - HORT410 - Vegetable Crops - Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture - Purdue University )〕〔http://www.avrdc.org/pdf/seeds/beet.pdf〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Integrative Biology 335: Systematics of Plants )〕 It has numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is the root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet. Other cultivated varieties include the leaf vegetable chard; the sugar beet, used to produce table sugar; and mangelwurzel, which is a fodder crop. Three subspecies are typically recognised. All cultivated varieties fall into the subspecies ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris''. ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''maritima'', commonly known as the sea beet, is the wild ancestor of these and is found throughout the Mediterranean, the Atlantic coast of Europe, the Near East, and India. A second wild subspecies, ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''adanensis'', occurs from Greece to Syria. The roots are most commonly deep red-purple in color, but less common varieties include golden yellow and red-and-white striped roots. ''Beta vulgaris'' is an herbaceous biennial or, rarely, perennial plant with leafy stems growing to 1–2 m tall. The leaves are heart-shaped, 5–20 cm long on wild plants (often much larger in cultivated plants). The flowers are produced in dense spikes; each flower is very small, 3–5 mm diameter, green or tinged reddish, with five petals; they are wind pollinated. The fruit is a cluster of hard nutlets. ==Taxonomy== The taxonomy of the various wild and cultivated races of beets has a long and complicated history. Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops following Letschert's 1993 treatment of ''Beta'', section ''Beta'' recognizes the following taxa for cultivated varieties, which are grown for their taproots, leaves, or swollen midribs: *''B. v.'' ssp. ''vulgaris'' convar. ''cicla'' (leaf beet or chard) - The leaf beet group has a long history dating to the second millennium BC. The first cultivated forms were believed to have been domesticated in the Mediterranean, but were introduced to the Middle East, India, and finally China by 850 AD. These were used as medicinal plants in Ancient Greece and Medieval Europe. Their popularity declined in Europe following the introduction of spinach. * *''B. v.'' ssp. ''v.'' convar. ''cicla.'' var. ''cicla'' (spinach beet) - This variety is widely cultivated for its leaves, which are usually cooked like spinach. It can be found in many grocery stores around the world. * *''B. v.'' ssp. ''v.'' convar. ''cicla.'' var. ''flavescens'' (Swiss chard) - Chard leaves have thick and fleshy midribs. Both the midribs and the leaf blades are used as vegetables, often in separate dishes. Some cultivars are also grown ornamentally for their coloured midribs. The thickened midribs are thought to have arisen from the spinach beet by mutation. *''B. v.'' ssp. ''vulgaris'' convar. ''vulgaris'' (tuberous beets) - This grouping contains all beets grown for their thickened tubers rather than their leaves. * *''B. v.'' ssp. ''v.'' convar. ''vulgaris'' var. ''crassa'' (mangelwurzel) - This variety was developed in the 18th century for its tubers for use as a fodder crop. * *''B. v.'' ssp. ''v.'' convar. ''vulgaris'' var. ''altissima'' (sugar beet) - The sugar beet is a major commercial crop due to its high concentrations of sucrose, which is extracted to produce table sugar. It was developed in Germany in the late 18th century after the roots of beets were found to contain sugar in 1747. * *''B. v.'' ssp. ''v.'' convar. ''vulgaris'' var. ''vulgaris'' (beetroot or garden beet) - This is the red root vegetable that is most typically associated with the word 'beet'. It is especially popular in Eastern Europe where it is the main ingredient of borscht. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Beta vulgaris」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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