Beta Vulgaris

Beta vulgaris, flowering plant of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) widely grown for the edible leaves and roots of its four cultivated forms. Each of the four distinct types of Beta vulgaris is used differently: (1) the common garden beet (also called beetroot or table beet) is cultivated as a garden vegetable, (2) chard (also called Swiss chard, leaf beet, or silver beet) is grown for its nutrient-rich leaves, (3) the sugar beet is commercially important as a major source of sugar, and (4) mangel-wurzel, or mangold, is a succulent feed for livestock. B. vulgaris was originally native to the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Europe. Archaeological evidence suggests that it has been cultivated since at least the 1st century ce and that its diverse forms developed over time.