Short answers, pulled from the story.
Spinach traveled from ancient Persia to China via Nepal in the year 647 CE. This event marked the beginning of the plant's global journey from its origin in Central and Western Asia roughly 2,000 years ago.
Spinacia oleracea is a dioecious species meaning individual plants are either male or female rather than possessing both reproductive organs. The plant is an annual that grows to varying heights and produces small yellow-green flowers that rely on wind to pollinate.
The belief that spinach is an exceptionally rich source of dietary iron originated from a scientific error in the 19th century that was never corrected. The high levels of oxalates in the plant actually inhibit the absorption of iron and calcium in the stomach and small intestine.
China accounted for 93% of the total global spinach output in the year 2022. The world produced 33 million tonnes of spinach that year with China alone responsible for the overwhelming majority of production.
During World War I wine fortified with spinach juice was given to injured French soldiers with the specific intent to curtail their bleeding. This practice underscores the vegetable's historical medicinal applications in the 14th century and beyond.
The English word spinach dates to the late 14th century and originates from the Old French word espinache. The name entered European languages from medieval Latin spinagium which was borrowed from Andalusian Arabic isbinakh and derives from the Persian word aspānākh.