Spinacia oleracea
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green flowering plant native to Central and Western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common vegetable consumed either fresh, cooked or after storage (using preservation techniques like canning, freezing, or dehydration). The taste differs considerably between cooked and raw: the high oxalate content may be reduced by blanching.
AI overview
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green plant originally from Central and Western Asia that is widely eaten as a vegetable in fresh, cooked, or preserved forms. The plant's taste and nutritional properties vary depending on how it's prepared—for example, cooking methods like blanching can reduce its natural oxalate content.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Species
SPECIES
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderCaryophyllales
- FamilyAmaranthaceae
Native toAfghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Pakistan, Tadzhikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Chile Central
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Research
5,129 papersvia PubMed
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
Article
15 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Taxonomy
- Description
- History
- Culinary use
- Nutrients
- Cooking and oxalates
- Cuisine
- Production
- Marketing and safety
- In popular culture
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green flowering plant native to Central and Western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common vegetable consumed either fresh, cooked or after storage (using preservation techniques like canning, freezing, or dehydration). The taste differs considerably between cooked and raw: the high oxalate content may be reduced by blanching.
It is an annual plant (rarely biennial), growing as tall as . Spinach may overwinter in temperate regions. The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to triangular, and very variable in size: long and broad, with larger leaves at the base of the plant and small leaves higher on the flowering stem. The flowers are inconspicuous, yellow-green, in diameter, and mature into a small, hard, dry, lumpy fruit cluster across containing several seeds.