Spinach vs. Waterleaf — What's the Difference?

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae.

Any of various North American herbaceous plants of the genus Hydrophyllum, having pinnately lobed often spotted leaves and terminal cymose clusters of white or purplish flowers.

An edible Asian plant of the goosefoot family, with large dark green leaves which are widely eaten as a vegetable.

(botany) Any plant of the genus Hydrophyllum.

An annual plant (Spinacia oleracea) native to southwest Asia, widely cultivated for its succulent edible leaves.

(botany) Any plant of Hydrophyllaceae, the waterleaf family.

The leaves of this plant, eaten as a vegetable.

A tropical plant (Talinum fruticosum), the leaves of which are eaten as a vegetable.

A particular edible plant, Spinacia oleracea, or its leaves.

(architecture) A leaf-shaped decoration used on the capitals of columns in late 12th-century Romanesque architecture

Any of numerous plants, or their leaves, which are used for greens in the same way Spinacia oleraceae is.

(paper technology) An absorbent unsized paper like blotters as opposed to slake-sized or hard sized papers.

Chinese spinach, red spinach (Amaranthus dubius)

Any plant of the American genus Hydrophyllum, herbs having white or pale blue bell-shaped flowers.

Malabar spinach red vine spinach, creeping spinach, climbing spinach, vine spinach, buffalo spinach, Ceylon spinach (Basella alba)

Any of several plants of the genus Hydrophyllum

(Atriplex hortensis)

(Brassica juncea)

New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides, syn. Tetragonia expansa)

(Gynura bicolor)

(Alternanthera sissoo)

(Chenopodium capitatum)

Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica)

(South Africa) wild spinach, African spinach (various nightshade, legume, and Cucurbitaceae species)

, perpetual spinach (Beta vulgaris: chard)

(Cleome serrulata)

Lincolnshire spinach (Blitum bonus-henricus, syn. Chenopodium bonus-henricus: Good King Henry)

, mountain spinach (Atriplex spp., Chenopodium rubrum)

(Rumex acetosa: common sorrel, garden sorrel)

Tree spinach:

(Claytonia perfoliata, syn. Montia perfoliata)

Plants with spinach-like leaves that are noxious in some way

(Emex australis), which bears thorny seeds

(Trianthema triquetra)

Plants with spinach-like leaves that have medicinal use

, Mollucan spinach (Gynura nepalensis)

A common pot herb (Spinacia oleracea) belonging to the Goosefoot family.

Southwestern Asian plant widely cultivated for its succulent edible dark green leaves

Dark green leaves; eaten cooked or raw in salads