中文名（Chinese Name）：甜菜
学名（Scientific Name）：Beta vulgaris Linn.
英文名（English Common Name）：common beet
别名（Chinese Common Name）：菾菜
异名（Synonym）：Beta vulgaris var. rosea Moq.  Beta maritima L.  Beta decumbens Moench  Beta esculenta Salisb.  Beta foliosa Ehrenb. ex Steud.  Beta hortensis Mill.  Beta hybrida Andrz.  Beta incarnata Steud.  Beta lutea Steud.  Beta marina Crantz  Beta maritima subsp. atriplicifolia (Rouy) Burenin  Beta maritima subsp. danica Krassochkin  Beta maritima subsp. marcosii (O.Bolòs & Vigo) Juan & M.B.Crespo  Beta alba DC.  Beta altissima Steud.  Beta bengalensis Roxb.  Beta brasiliensis Voss  Beta carnulosa Gren.  Beta cicla var. argentea Krassochkin & Burenin  Beta cicla var. viridis Krassochkin & Burenin  Beta crispa Tratt.  Beta maritima subsp. orientalis (Roth) Burenin  Beta maritima var. atriplicifolia Krassochkin  Beta maritima var. erecta Krassochkin  Beta maritima var. glabra Delile  Beta maritima var. pilosa Delile  Beta maritima var. prostrata Krassochkin  Beta noeana Bunge ex Boiss.  Beta purpurea Steud.  Beta rapa Dumort.  Beta rapacea Hegetschw.  Beta rosea Steud.  Beta sativa Bernh.  Beta stricta K.Koch  Beta sulcata Gasp.  Beta triflora Salisb.  Beta vulgaris subsp. asiatica Krassochkin ex Burenin  Beta vulgaris subsp. foliosa Asch. & Schweinf.  Beta vulgaris subsp. lomatogonoides Aellen  Beta vulgaris subsp. orientalis (Roth) Aellen  Beta vulgaris subsp. provulgaris Ford-Lloyd & J.T. Williams  Beta vulgaris var. asiatica Burenin  Beta vulgaris var. atriplicifolia (Rouy) Krassochkin  Beta vulgaris var. aurantia Burenin  Beta vulgaris var. coniciformis Burenin  Beta vulgaris var. foliosa (Asch. & Schweinf.) Aellen  Beta vulgaris var. glabra (Delile) Aellen  Beta vulgaris var. grisea Aellen  Beta vulgaris var. marcosii O.Bolòs & Vigo  Beta vulgaris var. mediasiatica Burenin  Beta vulgaris var. orientalis (Roth) Moq.  Beta vulgaris var. ovaliformis Burenin  Beta vulgaris var. perennis L.  Beta vulgaris var. pilosa (Delile) Moq.  Beta vulgaris var. rubidus Burenin  Beta vulgaris var. rubra L.  Beta vulgaris var. rubrifolia Krassochkin ex Burenin  Beta vulgaris var. virescens Burenin  Beta vulgaris var. viridifolia Krassochkin ex Burenin
科属（Family & Genus）：藜科（Chenopodiaceae）甜菜属
形态特征（Description）：二年生草本，根圆锥状至纺锤状，多汁。茎直立，多少有分枝，具条棱及色条。基生叶矩圆形，长20-30厘米，宽10-15厘米，具长叶柄，上面皱缩不平，略有光泽，下面有粗壮凸出的叶脉，全缘或略呈波状，先端钝，基部楔形、截形或略呈心形；叶柄粗壮，下面凸，上面平或具槽；茎生叶互生，较小，卵形或披针状矩圆形，先端渐尖，基部渐狭入短柄。花2-3朵团集，果时花被基底部彼此合生；花被裂片条形或狭矩圆形，果时变为革质并向内拱曲。胞果下部陷在硬化的花被内，上部稍肉质。种子双凸镜形，直径2-3毫米，红褐色，有光泽；胚环形，苍白色；胚乳粉状，白色。花期5-6月，果期7月。
分布（Distribution）：本种广为栽培，变异很大，被分为若干亚种、变种和变型。
用途（Use）：
引自中国植物志英文版FOC Vol. 5 Page 354
Beta vulgaris Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 222. 1753.
甜菜 tian cai | Chenopodiaceae  | Beta
Herbs annual or biennial. Root stout, tuberlike, and napiform or fusiform, or branched and not tuberlike. Stem erect, ± branched, ribbed, striate. Basal leaves long petiolate; petiole stout, abaxially convex, adaxially flattened or slightly concave; leaf blade oblong, 20-30 × 10-15 cm, adaxially crisped, sublustrous, abaxially with strongly protruding veins, base cuneate, truncate, or slightly cordate, margin entire or undulate, apex obtuse. Cauline leaves alternate, smaller than basal ones; leaf blade ovate or lanceolate-oblong, base gradually narrowed into petiole, apex attenuate. Flowers 2- or 3-glomerulate. Perianth united at base; segments linear or narrowly oblong, becoming leathery and incurved in fruit. Utricle basally sunken into perianth, distally subsucculent. Seed red-brown, sublustrous, lenticular, 2-3 mm in diam.; perisperm farinaceous. Fl. May-Sep, fr. Jul.
Commonly cultivated. in China [native to N Africa, SW Asia, and Europe; widely cultivated].
This species is highly variable, with many subspecies, varieties, and forms described. Four cultivated varieties are here recognized in China.
（责任编辑：徐晔春）