The traditional separation between Amaranthaceae sensu stricto and the Chenopodiaceae was essentially arbitrary. Judd et al. cite several references that support the combination of the two families into a single family. It is unfortunate for us that the family usually encountered in Utah is the one with the younger name, but life is like that at times. The vascular bundles are usually in concentric rings. The plastids of the sieve elements have a proteinaceous ring, but not a proteinaceous crystal core.
Leaves are alternate or opposite, simple, without stipules.
Flowers are usually bisexual, radially symmetric, often associated with bracts. The pollen grains are 7 to many porate. The number of ovules is 1-few. The fruit is an achene, a utricle, or a capsule but the distinctive feature is the curved to spiral embryo. There are a few economically useful species in the family, such as Beta vulgaris , Spinacia oleracea , and some species of Amaranthus and Chenopodium.