Beet (Beta vulgaris)

Beet (Beta vulgaris) is a plant species in the Amaranthaceae family. It is a biennial herb—rarely perennial—that can reach a height of up to 200 cm. Its roots are fibrous, swollen, and fleshy (sometimes becoming woody), appearing in shades of dark red, white, yellow, or brown. The stems may grow upright or trail along the ground; they can be solitary or branched toward the top, with a ribbed and striated surface.

B. vulgaris features basal leaves with long petioles, which may thicken and appear red, white, or yellow. The leaf blades range from oblanceolate to heart-shaped and vary in color from dark green to dark red. They are slightly fleshy, typically with a prominent midrib and entire or wavy margins, measuring 5–20 cm in length. Leaves higher up on the plant are smaller, with blades ranging from rhombic to narrowly lanceolate.

The flowers are arranged in dense, spike-like inflorescences that appear interrupted toward the base. These tiny flowers are gathered in clusters of 1–3, emerging from short bracts or appearing along the upper portions of the inflorescence without accompanying floral leaves.

The hermaphroditic flowers are urn-shaped and green or reddish, consisting of five perianth segments fused at the base. They measure 3–5 mm in length and 2–3 mm in width, featuring five stamens and a semi-inferior ovary with 2–3 stigmas. The perianths of adjacent flowers often fuse together.

The flower clusters form hard, consolidated masses. The fruit is enclosed by a leathery, inwardly curved perianth, embedded within a base that has become swollen and hardened. The seeds are lens-shaped and oriented horizontally, measuring 2–3 mm; they possess a shiny, reddish-brown seed coat. Each seed contains a ring-shaped embryo and perisperm.

Beets are cultivated as animal feed, a source of sugar, and a vegetable. A 100-gram serving provides 43 calories, 88% water, 10% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and a small amount of fat. The only micronutrients present in significant quantities are folate (27% of the Daily Value) and manganese (16% of the Daily Value).

The leaves are consumed as a vegetable. The roots can be roasted, boiled, or steamed—served warm as a cooked vegetable or chilled for use in salads. The roots are also processed into pickles. Furthermore, the roots are used to treat fevers, constipation, and various other health ailments.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Betoideae
Tribe: Beteae
Genus: Beta L. in Sp. Pl.: 222 (1753)
Species: Beta vulgaris L. in Sp. Pl.: 222 (1753)
Subspecies: Beta vulgaris subsp. adanensis (Pamukç. ex Aellen) Ford-Lloyd & J.T. Williams, Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris

PUBLICATIONS

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Authier, P. & Covillot, J. (2011). Catalogue actualisé des plantes de l'île de Rhodes (Grèce). Saussurea; Travaux de la Société Botanique de Genève 41: 131-170.

Chang, C.S., Kim, H. & Chang, K.S. (2014). Provisional checklist of vascular plants for the Korea peninsula flora (KPF): 1-660. DESIGNPOST.

Cossu, T.A, Camarda, I. & Brundu, G. (2014). A catalogue of non-native weeds in irrigated crops in Sardinia (Italy). Webbia; Raccolta de Scritti Botanici 69: 145-156.

Danihelka, J. Chrtek, J. & Kaplan, Z. (2012). Checklist of vascular plants of the Czech Republic. Preslia. Casopsi Ceské Botanické Spolecnosti 84: 647-811.

Darbyshire, I., Kordofani, M., Farag, I., Candiga, R. & Pickering, H. (eds.) (2015). The Plants of Sudan and South Sudan: 1-400. Kew publishing, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

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Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2003). Flora of North America North of Mexico 4: 1-559. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Fosberg, F.R., Sachet, M.-H., Oliver, R. (1979). A geographical checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica; Journal of the College of Guam 15: 41-295.

Freitag, H. & al. (2001). Flora of Pakistan 204: 1-217. Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi.

Garcillán, P.P. & al. (2013). Plantas no nativas naturalizadas de la península de Baja California, México. Botanical Sciences 91: 461-475.

George, A.S. & Menadue, M. (eds.) (1984). Flora of Australia 4: 1-354. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

Gilman, A.V. (2015). New flora of Vermont. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 110: 1-614.

Govaerts, R. (1996). World Checklist of Seed Plants 2(1, 2): 1-492. MIM, Deurne.

Hammel, B.E., Grayum, M.H., Herrera, C. & Zamora, N. (eds.) (2020). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica 4(1): 1-904. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Hassler, M. & Muer, T. (2022). Flora Germanica: alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild 2: 865-1712. Verlag Regionalkultur, Uberstadt-Weiher.

Hedge, I.C., Akhani, H., Freitag, H., Kothe-Heinrich, G., Podlech, D., Rilke, S. & Uotila, P. (1997). Flora Iranica 172: 1-371. Naturhistorisches Museums Wien.

Iwatsuki, K., Boufford, D.E. & Ohba, H. (eds.) (2006). Flora of Japan IIa: 1-550. Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo.

Jørgensen, P.M. & León-Yánez, S. (eds.) (1999). Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 75: i-viii, 1-1181. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Knapp, W.M. & Naczi, R.F.C. (2021). Vascular plants of Maryland, USA. A comprehensive account of the state's botanical diversity. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 113: 1-151.

Krasnoborov, I.M. & Armemov, I.A. (2012). Opredelitel' Rasteniĭ Respublika Altaĭ: 1-640. Novosibirsk: Izd-vo SO RAN.

Llewellyn, O.A., Hall, M., Miller, A.G., Al-Abbasi, T.M., Al-Wetaid, A.H., Al-Harbi, R.J. & Al-Shammari, K.F. (2011). Important plant areas in the Arabian peninsula: 4. Jabal Aja. Edinburgh Journal of Botany 68: 199-224.

Lê, T.C. (2003). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 2: 1-1203. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

Muer, T., Sauerbier, H. & Cabrara Calixto, F. (2020). Die Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Madeiras: 1-792. Verlag und Versandbuchhandlung Andreas Kleinsteuber.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

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Ovczinnikov, P.N. (ed.) (1968). Flora Tadzhikskoi SSR 3: 1-710. Izd-vo Akademii nauk SSSR, Moskva.

Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Schäfer, H. (2021). Flora of the Azores a field guide: 1-445. Margraf Publishers GmbH.

Singh, A. (2012). Exotic flora of the Chandauli district Uttar Pradesh, India: an overview. Indian Journal of Forestry 35: 79-84.

Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.

Stalažs, A. (2024). List of vascular plants of Latvia (with Latvian names): 1-312. Dobele.

Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1993). Flora Europaea ed. 2, 1: 1-581. Cambridge University Press.

Vladimirov, V., Dane, F., Matevski, V. & Kit Tan (2012). New floristic records in the Balkans: 18. Phytologia Balcanica 18: 69-92.

Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2003). Flora of China 5: 1-505. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

Zhao, Y.Z., Zhao, L.Q. & Rui, C. (eds.) (2019). Flora Intramongolica, edition 3, 1: 1-779. Typis Intramongolicae popularis, Huhhot.

Zuloaga, F.O. & Belgrano, M.J. (eds.) (2020). Flora Argentina. Flora vascular de la República Argentina 19(1): 1-378. INTA, IMBIV & IBODA.

VERNACULAR NAME

Alabama: Assikchìlpa hòmma
Allier” Blette Bourbonnais
Arabic: باربة - بنجر -شمندر - شوندر
Assamese: Paleng sak
Bourbonnais: Blette
Catalan: Remolatxa
Chinese (simplified): 甜菜
Chinese (traditional): 甜菜 - 紅菜頭
Czech: Řepa obecná
Danish: Bede
Dutch: Biet
English: Beet, Beetroot, Chard, Fodder beet, Mangels, Silver beet, Spinach beet, Sugar beet, Swiss chard, Garden beet
Estonian: Harilik peet
Finnish: Ruokajuurikas
French: Bettes et betteraves, Poirée à carde, Arde, Côte de blette
Galician: Remolacha
German: Rübe
Greek: Παντζάρι
Hebrew: סלק מצוי
Hindi: चुकंदर - पालक Chukandar, Palak
Hong Kong: 紅菜頭
Hungarian: Termesztett répa
Indonesia: Bit
Irish: Laíon na trá
Italian: Barbabietola, Bietola
Java: Bit
Lesotho: Beteruti, Biti
Lithuanian: Paprastasis runkelis
Macao: 紅菜頭
Malayalam: Chencheera, Neycheera
Norwegian: Bete
Polish: Burak zwyczajny
Portuguese: Beterraba,
Russian: Свекла обыкновенная - Свёкла обыкновенная
Sanskrit: Palanki
Sinhala: බීට්රූට්
Slovak: Repa obyčajná
Sotho: Beteruti, Biti
Spanish: Betabel, Remolacha
Swedish: Beta
Taiwan: 紅菜頭
Turkish: Kırmızı Pancar, Pazı, Şeker Pancarı, Yaban Pancarı
Ukrainian: Буряк столовий
Welsh: Betysen

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