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How do beet, Swiss chard, spinach, and quinoa belong to Caryophyllales?

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Caryophyllales Pink carnation flowers (*Dianthus caryophyllus*).

Beet, Swiss chard, spinach, and quinoa belong to the order Caryophyllales because they are classified within the family Amaranthaceae.

This family is a major component of the order and notably includes the former spinach family, Chenopodiaceae, which encompasses these specific food crops. Members of the Amaranthaceae family are characterized as more or less succulent herbs, often featuring swollen nodes. Many species within this group are halophytes, meaning they are adapted to environments with high salt content, and several utilize C4 photosynthesis pathways to thrive in their respective habitats.12

As part of the diverse Caryophyllales order, these plants share a common evolutionary lineage within the core eudicots, contributing to the order's significant economic importance as a source of vegetables and other food crops.13