Flowers in small clusters forming a long, loose spike.
Flowers:
Bisexual.
Ovary - Half inferior. Short style with 2-3 stigmas.
Sepals - Tubular, 5 lobed. Tube joined to the ovary and thickened and hardened when it surrounds the fruit.
Petals -
Stamens - 5
Anthers -
Fruit:
Seeds:
Horizontal, lens shaped.
Roots:
Stout taproot.
Key Characters:
Biology:
Life cycle:
Annual or biennial herb.
Physiology:
Reproduction:
By seed.
Flowering times:
Seed Biology and Germination:
Vegetative Propagules:
None.
Hybrids:
Allelopathy:
Population Dynamics and Dispersal:
Spread mainly by intentional planting.
Origin and History:
Europe. Western Asia.
Introduced as a vegetable crop.
Distribution:
ACT, NSW, SA. QLD, TAS, VIC, WA.
Habitats:
Climate:
Temperate. Mediterranean.
Soil:
Plant Associations:
Significance:
Beneficial:
Green and cooked vegetable.
Detrimental:
Toxicity:
May contain toxic levels of nitrate and oxalate. Poisoning usually occurs after peculiar weather, spraying with hormone herbicides such as 2,4-D or where large quantities are consumed.
Symptoms:
Nitrate toxicity.
Oxalate toxicity.
Legislation:
None.
Management and Control:
Thresholds:
Eradication strategies:
Herbicide resistance:
Biological Control:
Related plants:
Beetroot (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris)
Wild Beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima) is probably the wild parent of Silverbeet, Beetroot and Sugar Beet.
Plants of similar appearance:
References:
Black, J.M. (1965). Flora of South Australia. (Government Printer, Adelaide, South Australia). P293. Diagram.
Everist, S.L. (1974). Poisonous Plants of Australia. (Angus and Robertson, Sydney). P141-142.
Lazarides, M. and Hince, B. (1993). CSIRO handbook of economic plants of Australia. (CSIRO, Melbourne). #171.1.
Acknowledgments:
Collated by HerbiGuide. Phone 08 98444064 or www.herbiguide.com.au for more information.