Goosefoot family
Description
A large family, mostly of perennial herbs, occasionally succulent and with mealy hairs (Chenopodiaceae 1). The leaves are mostly simple and alternate. The flowers are inconspicuous, borne in dense clusters (Chenopodiaceae 2). They are uni- or bisexual, with 3 or 5 sepals and petals, the same number or less stamens, and a superior ovary. The fruit is a 1-seeded nut.
There are over 100 genera, cosmopolitan in distribution, mainly in arid regions and saline habitats and as weeds in cultivated or waste grounds.
Use
Economically important is the Genus Beta that includes a number of rootcrops like beetroot and sugarbeet. Spinacea and Atriplex, provide leaf vegetables, while Chenopodium yields the pseudo-cereal quinoa.
Described species
Beta vulgaris, beetroot, chard, spinach beet, sugar beet, mangel
Spinacea oleracea, spinach
Spinacea tetranda, see Spinacea oleracea
Atriplex hortensis, orache, see Spinacea oleracea
Chenopodium quinoa, quinoa, see Spinacea oleracea