Flame beet, beet, quinoa family, beet genus biennial herb, root conical to fusiform, succulent. Stem erect, more or less branched, with striped ribs and color bars. Basal leaves rectangular, widely cultivated, great variation, is divided into a number of subspecies, varieties and variants. There are also many varieties now cultivated in China, and introductions come from a variety of sources. [1] Sweet. Evolved from a wild plant called sea beet that grows along the Mediterranean coast. The beet has a red flame like fire, and is now known as the flame beet. Beet leaves are also an edible vegetable