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Brassica (pronounced , Brás-si-ca
Syllable stress of Botanical Latin

Syllable stress of botanical names varies with the language spoken by the person using the botanical name. In English-speaking countries the Botanical Latin places syllable stress for botanical names derived from ancient Greek and Latin broadly according to two systems, either the Reformed academic pronunciation, or the pronunciation develop...
) is a genus of plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae or Cruciferae, also known as the crucifers, the mustard family or cabbage family is a Family of flowering plants ....
). The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards. Crops from this genus are sometimes called cole crops, which is derived from the Latin caulis, meaning cabbage.

This genus is remarkable for containing more important agricultural and horticultural crops than any other genus.






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Brassica (pronounced , Brás-si-ca
Syllable stress of Botanical Latin

Syllable stress of botanical names varies with the language spoken by the person using the botanical name. In English-speaking countries the Botanical Latin places syllable stress for botanical names derived from ancient Greek and Latin broadly according to two systems, either the Reformed academic pronunciation, or the pronunciation develop...
) is a genus of plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae or Cruciferae, also known as the crucifers, the mustard family or cabbage family is a Family of flowering plants ....
). The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards. Crops from this genus are sometimes called cole crops, which is derived from the Latin caulis, meaning cabbage.

This genus is remarkable for containing more important agricultural and horticultural crops than any other genus. It also includes a number of weed
WEED

WEED is a radio station broadcasting a Gospel format. Licensed to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA, it serves the area. The station is currently owned by Northstar Broadcasting Corporation....
s, both wild taxa and escapees from cultivation. It includes over 30 wild species and hybrids, and numerous additional cultivar
Cultivar

A cultivar is a cultivated plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics; it is usually distinct from similar plants and when Plant propagation it retains those characteristics....
s and hybrids of cultivated origin. Most are annual
Annual plant

An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates flowers and dies in one year. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed....
s or biennial
Biennial plant

A biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots , then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months....
s, but some are small shrubs.

The genus is native in the wild in western Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
, the Mediterranean
Mediterranean climate

A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide....
 and temperate regions of Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
. In addition to the cultivated species, which are grown worldwide, many of the wild species grow as weeds, especially in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
, South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
, and Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
.

Uses


Food

Almost all parts of some species or other have been developed for food, including the root (swedes
Rutabaga

The rutabaga, swede , or yellow turnip is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. Its leaves can also be eaten as a leaf vegetable....
, turnips), stems (kohlrabi
Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a low, stout cultivar of the cabbage that will grow almost anywhere. It has been selected for its swollen, nearly spherical, Sputnik program-like shape....
), leaves (cabbage
Cabbage

The cabbage is a leafy garden plant of the Family Brassicaceae , used as a Leaf vegetable. It is a herbaceous, biennial plant, dicotyledonous flowering plant distinguished by a short stem upon which is crowded a mass of leaves, usually green but in some varieties red or purplish, forming a characteristic compact, globular cluster ....
, brussels sprout
Brussels sprout

The Brussels sprout of the Brassicaceae family, is a cultivar of Brassica oleracea cultivated for its small leafy green buds, which resemble miniature cabbages....
s), flowers (cauliflower
Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed....
, broccoli
Broccoli

Broccoli is a plant of the cabbage family Brassicaceae .It is classified as the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli possesses abundant arboreal, luscious, fleshy, flower heads, usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible, sturdy, meaty stalk....
), and seeds (many, including mustard seed
Mustard seed

Mustard seeds are the small seeds of the various mustard plants. The seeds are about 2 mm in diameter, and may be colored from yellowish white to black....
, oilseed rape
Rapeseed

Rapeseed , also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rapaseed and canola, is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae ....
). Some forms with white or purple foliage or flowerheads, are also sometimes grown for ornament.

Brassica species are sometimes used as food plants by the larva
Larva

A larva is a young form of animal with indirect developmental biology, going through or undergoing metamorphosis .The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly....
e of a number of Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
 species - see List of Lepidoptera that feed on Brassica.

Due to their agricultural importance, Brassica plants have been the subject of much scientific interest. The close relationship between 6 particularly important species (Brassica carinata, B. juncea, B. oleracea, B. napus, B. nigra and B. rapa) is described by the Triangle of U
Triangle of U

The Triangle of U is a theory about the evolution and relationships between members of the plant genus Brassica. It says that the genomes of three ancestral species of Brassica combined to create three of the common contemporary vegetables and oilseed crop species....
 theory.

Medicine

Brassica vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value. They provide high amounts of vitamin C
Vitamin C

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans, a large number of simian species, a small number of other mammalian species , a few species of birds, and some fish....
 and soluble fiber
Dietary fiber

Dietary fiber, sometimes called "roughage", is the indigestible portion of plant foods that pushes food through the digestive system, absorbing water and easing defecation....
 and contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties: 3,3'-Diindolylmethane
3,3'-Diindolylmethane

3,3'-Diindolylmethane or DIM is an anticarcinogen compound derived from the digestion of indole-3-carbinol, found in Brassica vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower....
, sulforaphane
Sulforaphane

Sulforaphane is an anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial compound that can be obtained by eating cruciferous vegetables such as brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, broccoli sprouts, chinese broccoli, broccoli raab, kohlrabi, Mustard plant, turnip, radish, Eruca sativa, and watercress....
 and selenium
Selenium

Selenium is a chemical element with the atomic number 34, represented by the chemical symbol Se, an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, chemically related to sulfur and tellurium, and rarely occurs in its elemental state in nature....
.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have recently discovered that 3,3'-Diindolylmethane in Brassica vegetables is a potent modulator of the innate immune response system with potent anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activity.

Species

There is some disagreement among botanists on the classification and status of Brassica species and subspecies. The following is an abbreviated list, with an emphasis on economically important species.

  • B. carinata
    Brassica carinata

    Brassica carinata is a member of the Triangle of U species in the agriculturally significant Brassica genus. It has 34 chromosomes with genome composition BBCC, and is thought to result from an ancestral hybridisation event between Brassica nigra and Brassica oleracea ....
     - Abyssinian Mustard or Abyssinian Cabbage, used to produce biodiesel
    Biodiesel

    Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based diesel fuel consisting of long chain alkyl esters, made by transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat , which can be used in unmodified diesel-engine vehicles....
    .
  • B. elongata - Elongated Mustard
  • B. fruticulosa - Mediterranean Cabbage
  • B. juncea
    Brassica juncea

    Brassica juncea, also known as mustard greens, Indian mustard and leaf mustard, is a species of mustard plant. Sub-varieties include Southern Giant Curled Mustard, which resembles a headless cabbage such as Kale, but with a distinct horseradish-mustard flavor....
     - Indian Mustard, Brown and leaf mustards, Sarepta Mustard.
  • B. napus
    Rapeseed

    Rapeseed , also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rapaseed and canola, is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae ....
     - Rapeseed
    Rapeseed

    Rapeseed , also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rapaseed and canola, is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae ....
    , Canola
    Canola

    Canola is one of two cultivars of rapeseed or Field mustard . Their seeds are used to produce edible oil that is fit for human consumption because it has lower levels of erucic acid than traditional rapeseed oils and to produce livestock feed because it has reduced levels of the toxin glucosin....
    , Rutabaga
    Rutabaga

    The rutabaga, swede , or yellow turnip is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. Its leaves can also be eaten as a leaf vegetable....
     (Swede Turnip), Nabicol
  • B. narinosa - Broadbeaked Mustard
  • B. nigra
    Brassica nigra

    Brassica nigra is an annual plant Weedy species plant cultivated for its seeds, which are commonly used as a spice. The plant is believed to be native to the southern Mediterranean region of Europe, and has been cultivated for thousands of years....
     - Black Mustard
  • B. oleracea
    Brassica oleracea

    Brassica oleracea or Wild Mustard, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance of sodium chloride and calcium carbonate and its intolerance of competition from other plants typically restrict its natural occurrence to limestone sea cliffs....
     - Kale
    Kale

    Kale or Borecole is a form of cabbage , green in color, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms....
    , Cabbage
    Cabbage

    The cabbage is a leafy garden plant of the Family Brassicaceae , used as a Leaf vegetable. It is a herbaceous, biennial plant, dicotyledonous flowering plant distinguished by a short stem upon which is crowded a mass of leaves, usually green but in some varieties red or purplish, forming a characteristic compact, globular cluster ....
    , Broccoli
    Broccoli

    Broccoli is a plant of the cabbage family Brassicaceae .It is classified as the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli possesses abundant arboreal, luscious, fleshy, flower heads, usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible, sturdy, meaty stalk....
    , Cauliflower
    Cauliflower

    Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed....
    , Kai-lan
    Kai-lan

    Kai-lan, also known as Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale, is a slightly bitter leaf vegetable featuring thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems and a small number of tiny, almost vestigial flower heads similar to those of broccoli....
    , Brussels sprout
    Brussels sprout

    The Brussels sprout of the Brassicaceae family, is a cultivar of Brassica oleracea cultivated for its small leafy green buds, which resemble miniature cabbages....
    s
  • B. perviridis - Tender Green, Mustard Spinach
  • B. rapa
    Brassica rapa

    Brassica rapa, commonly known as field mustard or turnip mustard is a plant widely cultivated as a leaf vegetable , a root vegetable, and an oilseed....
     (syn B. campestris) - Chinese cabbage
    Chinese cabbage

    Chinese cabbage , also known as snow cabbage, is a China leaf vegetable commonly used in Chinese cuisine. The vegetable is related to the Western cabbage, and is of the same species as the Turnip ....
    , Turnip, Rapini
    Rapini

    Rapini is a common vegetable in Galician cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Italian cuisine, and Portuguese cuisine cuisine. The plant is a member of the Brassiceae tribe of the Brassicaceae, whose taxonomy is very difficult....
    , Komatsuna
    Komatsuna

    Komatsuna is a type of leaf vegetable. It is a variant of the same species as the Turnip . It is grown in Japan, Taiwan and Korea. It is also known as Japanese Mustard Spinach and can be stir-fried, pickled, boiled and added to soups or used fresh in salads....
  • B. rupestris - Brown Mustard
  • B. septiceps - Seventop Turnip
  • B. tournefortii
    Brassica tournefortii

    The mustard species Brassica tournefortii is known by the common names Asian mustard, African mustard, and Sahara mustard, and is well-known as an noxious weeds, especially in California....
     - Asian Mustard


Deprecated species names

  • B. kaber (Wild Mustard or Charlock) - see Sinapis arvensis
    Sinapis arvensis

    Sinapis arvensis is a plant from the family Brassicaceae, it is commonly known as wild mustard or charlock. A native of Europe, it has also become naturalized throughout much of North America....
  • B. alba or B. hirta (White or Yellow mustard) - see Sinapis alba
    White Mustard

    White mustard is an annual plant of the family Cruciferae. It is sometimes also referred to as Brassica alba or B hirta or yellow mustard....


Genome sequencing and genetics

The B. rapa genome is currently being sequenced by an international consortium. This also represents the A genome component of the amphidiploid crop species B. napus and B. juncea .

See also

  • Cruciferous vegetables
    Cruciferous vegetables

    Edible plants in the family Brassicaceae are termed Cruciferous vegetables. For a botanical description of plants in this family , see Brassicaceae....
     for more edible plants of the Brassicaceae family.
  • Triangle of U
    Triangle of U

    The Triangle of U is a theory about the evolution and relationships between members of the plant genus Brassica. It says that the genomes of three ancestral species of Brassica combined to create three of the common contemporary vegetables and oilseed crop species....