Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology Safety Assessment of Transgenic Organisms in the Environment, Volume 5..

II.3. BRASSICA CROPS (BRASSICA SPP.) – 153

Table 3.2. Nomenclature and genome relationships of cultivated Brassica species

and related genera

Species name Common synonym Haploid chromosome number and genome Common name

Brassica rapa L. B. campestris L. 10 AA

subsp. campestris (L.) A.R. Clapham Summer turnip rape, canola

subsp. oleifera (DC.) Metzg. Winter turnip rape

subsp. campestris (L.) A.R. Clapham subsp.eu-campestris (L.) Olsson Bird or wild turnip rape

subsp. trilocularis (Roxb.) Hanelt subsp. sarson (Prain) Denford Yellow and brown Sarson

subsp. dichotoma (Roxb.) Hanelt Toria

subsp. chinensis (L.) Hanelt B. chinensis L.

B. chiensis var. parachinsis (L.H. Bailey)

Pak-choi or bok choy, Chinese

mustard, Chinese broccoli, Gai

Lan

subsp. pekinensis (Lour.) Hanelt B. pekinensis (Lour) Rupr. Pe-tsai, Chinese cabbage

subsp. nipposinica (L.H. Bailey) Hanelt Curled mustard

subsp. Rapa B. rapa L. Turnip

Brassica tournefortii Gouan 10 TT Wild turnip

Brassica nigra (L.) W.D.J. Koch 8 BB Black mustard

Brassica oleracea L. 9 CC

var. viridis L. var. acephala DC. Kale, collard

var. botrytis L. Cauliflower and broccoli

var. capitata L. Cabbage

var. gongylodes L. var. caulorapa Pasq. Kohlrabi

var. gemmifera (DC.) Zenker Brussels sprouts

var. italica Plenck. Broccoli

var. oleracea subsp. sylvestris (L.) Miller Wild cabbage

subsp. alboglabra L.H. Bailey B. alboglabra L.H. Bailey Chinese kale, kailan

Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. 18 AABB Brown and oriental mustard, rai

Brassica napus L. 19 AACC

var. napus subsp. oleifera (Delile) Sinskaya Summer oilseed rape, canola

var. napus B. napus f. biennis (Schübl. &

G. Martens) Thell.

Winter oilseed rape, winter

canola

var. pabularia (DC.) Rchb. Rape-kale

var. napobrassica (L.) Rchb. subsp. rapifera (Metzg.) Sinskaya Rutabaga, swede

Brassica carinata A. Braun. 17 BBCC Abyssinian mustard

Hirschfeldia incana (L.) Lagr.-Foss. Brassica adpressa Boiss. 7 HH Hoary mustard

Sinapis arvensis L. B. kaber (DC.) L.C. Wheeler 9 SarSar Wild mustard, charlock

Sinapis alba L. B. hirta Moench 12 SalSal Yellow or white mustard

Raphanus sativus L. 9 RR Radish

Raphanus raphanistrum L. 9 RR Wild radish

Diplotaxis muralis (L.) DC. 21 DD Annual wall-rocket

Erucastrum gallicum (Willd.) O.E. Schulz 15 Dog mustard

Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. subsp. sativa

(Mill.) Thell.

Eruca sativa Mill. 11 EE Rocket salad

Source: Modified from Yarnell (1956).^

Early humans recognised the edible value of many of these species and through

selection modified nearly every plant part to suit their needs. Such modifications include

the compacting of the leaves to form a head, the root or stem to form a bulb,

the inflorescence to form a curd or bunch and the seed to provide both oil and condiment.

Species grown as oilseeds include B. napus, B. juncea, B. rapa and B. carinata.

The vegetable Brassicaceae includes B. napus (rutabaga, Siberian kale), B. rapa (Chinese