Ushadi
I fear this may not be Spinacia oleracea. The spinach sold in warmer parts
of India is actually bet leaf Beta vulgaris var. bengalensis Roxb. now
correctly known as *B. vulgaris* subsp. *maritima* (L.) Arch.
Being very familiar with spinach in Kashmir (Palak), we used to call leafy
Beta vulgaris var. maritima as Punjabi Palak in Kashmir. I was surprised,
therefore, when this Punjabi Palak (word Hindustani or Punjabi is commonly
used in Kashmir for any thing belonging to outside Kashmir) was called here
in Delhi as Spinach and taught in practical classes (both Physiology and
Taxonomy practical) as Spinacia oleracea. It took me some time to convince
the teachers here. In fact in one College I went as external examiner, this
plant was given to students. I tried to convince teachers, and finding that
some senior teachers won't agree, I finally told them: Ok if you think this
is Spinacia oleracea, students should show me the characters of this.
Luckily no one disagreed with me there after.
By the way two are very different: leaves are hastate, flowers
unisexual, fruiting perianth enlarging, becoming hardened and often spiny
in Spinacia oleracea.
In Beta vulgraris, leaves are narrowed at base, flowers bisexual,
perianth not hardened in fruit.
--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/
On Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 12:48 PM, Ushadi Micromini <[email protected]
> wrote:
> *Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae Week: UD 002 : Spinacia oleracea,
> bolting from a local grower*
>
>
> This is Spinach *Spinacia oleracea, * we all eat* it
> *
>
> *
> *
>
> And love and hate to some extent
>
>
> Astringent taste leaves moth dry
>
>
> Hence the Italian took to adding creamy sauces to spinach I think…
>
> there is no hard evidence for and against it… its just my fancy…
>
> I love to think that that’s why most spinach I ate in Italy or Greece
>
> was almost 70percent of the time smothered in creamy white sauces…
>
> and if not in sauces , in garlic…
>
>
> Its leaves are rich in micro-nutrients such as those that are
> synthesized by the leaves…
>
> Vit K, B6, B2, Vit A and to some extent C… and can be a rich source of
> Magnesium,
>
> Selenium, manganese if the soil its being grown in is not overused and
> undernourished ;
>
> and Iron, since most soil is usually not too deficient in Iron in the
> gangetic plains I am told…
>
>
>
> *This example I am showing is Bolting, ie flowering, not considered edible
> *
>
> * by this time, ie past its most desirable stage. It tastes bitter, I
> can vouch
> *
>
> *for it and quite fibrous. I like the small greenish white flowers
> though . *
>
>
>
> --
> Usha di
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