The Chenopodiaceae or goosefoot family contains about 100 genera and 1500 species distributed worldwide but con- centrated mainly in desert, semidesert and saline areas of the Old World. Recent circumscriptions of this family such as APG and APG II place it into the Amaranthaceae on the basis of molecular studies. Most species have flowers that are tiny and hardly recognizable as such. The leaves are usually simple and entire, alternate or opposite, sometimes thickened or succulent, often with mealy texture or glandular hairs. Some genera such as the pickleweeds lack leaves altogether and their photosynthesis takes places in the succulent green stems. The perianth consists of undifferentiated 5-lobed tepals. The family includes a number of commercially very significant members such as beets, sugar beets, spinach, chard, and quinoa, a staple in the Andes region for its edible leaves and seeds.