Beetroot cyclindra

I am growing beetroot for the first time ever, and I am a bit puzzled by what I see growing in my veg plot. So, I'm just asking more experienced gardeners if all is growing as Nature wants. Here's the "culprit": it is supposed to be a beetroot cyclindra, which I grew from seed, sown in early April. Does it look all right? Should I do anything as I don't see any "bulging" root showing up...

Hmm, that doesn't look like beetroot to me - the leaves should be a simple shape with a deep red stem, see here http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=beetroot+cylindra&hl=en&rlz=1C1SVEE_enGB425GB425&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=r1f0T9u9FoyA8gPArrWPBw&sqi=2&ved=0CEAQ_AUoAQ&biw=1092&bih=514

I'm growing this variety for the first time this year, I sowed them in April and thanks to the cold weather they're still quite small, but they do look like beetroot, and yours don't.  What else have you sown there?

there are onions sturon on the left and cabbage greyhound on the right, ...loved by slugs & snails (give me a hard time). It's weird because I sowed a later batch of the same seeds beetroot cyclindra (from Wilko) and they grow like these. Whereas, I sowed a few boltardy and they "look" like one may expect though still tiny because sown recently.

Well they're definitely not beetroot leaves - just occasionally seed companies make a blooper and this looks like one.  I'm trying to think what those leaves  could be - they do look familiar but I can't come up with a name at the moment.

Maybe you should pull them out and give the onions and cabbages a bit more room, the 'not beetroot' do rather look as if they're taking over!

They almost look like rocket leaves.

...giant rocket indeed. Thanks for the advice: I was wondering whether I'd better pull them out so that the other vegs can breath better, and your comments suggest that it would be wiser. I'll try and do this asap... between showers!

Italophile, if you read this still, are you from Italy? I'm half Sicilian and half Abruzzese, though I'm feeling now at home in the NW!

I'd work very carefully if it is rocket. Mature rocket can form a sort of tap root and yanking it unceremoniously might disturb any young beetroots.

Been here - in central Tuscany - for seven years, nadiamaz. Fled Australia to come here. Never regretted it!

Grazie per il consiglio!

Niente!

I'd work very carefully if it is rocket. Mature rocket can form a sort of tap root and yanking it unceremoniously might disturb any young beetroots.

Been here - in central Tuscany - for seven years, nadiamaz. Fled Australia to come here. Never regretted it!

Could be. If it is, that makes removing them even more difficult without disturbing the surrounding plants.

Might be an idea to feel down into the soil around the roots of the interloper. It will reveal what's underneath.

OK, so here's the upshot: I plugged my hands in, and carefully tried to extract the plant... I needed to use lts of strength and what came out was an UGG=Unidentified Growing Green-thing. Sort of a GM hybrid of woody radish/parsnip, withleaves which indeed remind of rocket, but with an unpleasant smell. Result, I pulled out the three similar UGG that were occupying a big chunk of the raised bed, and gave more room to the growing cabbage. Meanwhile, I "discovered" some nicely growing beetroot, looking like beetroot (at least for its leaves) that I couldn't see before because of the invasive "Dalek".

Thanks to all of you for your help!

Prego!