Spinach

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green flowering plant native to Central and Western Asia, in the family Amaranthaceae. It is an annual, occasionally biennial, plant that grows up to about 30 centimeters tall, with alternate, simple leaves ranging from ovate to triangular. The plant is dioecious, so an individual bears either male or female flowers, which are small, green and wind-pollinated. Spinach originated in ancient Persia roughly 2,000 years ago and later spread to India and China; today its leaves are eaten fresh, cooked, or preserved by canning, freezing or dehydration, and its naturally high oxalate content can be reduced by blanching.