Trivial spinach question

[Don McAllister]

Doug Yanega wrote:  At the risk of lightening the tone, the activity here of
several scholarlybotanists prompts me to see if any of you can help on a small
question. A little while ago, a Brazilian colleague asked me if there was any
significance to the cartoon character Popeye eating spinach - thinking that  it
might be something cultural.

I had always thought that the reason for popeye eating spinich was because of it
reputation for high iron content, needed for erythrocytes.  Long ago I read,
though, that the iron in spinach is not readily available.

don
Don McAllister