II.3. BRASSICA CROPS (BRASSICA SPP.) – 169
illustrated a normal or “ordinal” root form, a turnip-like rooted form (also described by
Dixon, 2007) and a little known form with a tuberous basal stem (Figure 3.22).
The four subspecies were grouped and characterised as follows.
- subsp. napiformis (Pailleux & Bois) Gladis, grown for its tuberous turnip-like
root. This subspecies bolts late and has a high tolerance to cold. - var. japonica (Thunb.) L.H. Bailey, characterised by curled, narrow or dissected
leaves. - subsp. integrifolia (H. West) Thell., characterised by entire or little lobed basal
leaves. Herkots (1972) notes that some cultivars may form a tight head
(Figure 3.23). - var. rugosa (Roxb.) N. Tsen & S.H. Lee, includes cabbage leafed forms with
large entire or serrated radical leaves. The tuberous basal stem form (Figure 3.22)
is included in this subspecies.
Herklots (1972) places var. rugosa within subsp. integrifolia but also puts forward the
var. sareptana as characterised by lyrately-lobed basal leaves and var. crispifolia as
having dissected, crisped lower leaves. More recently, a B. juncea Biology Document
(Canadian Food Inspection Agency, 2007) quoted the grouping by Spect and
Diederichsen (2001) into the following four sub-species: - subsp. integrifolia, used as a leaf vegetable in Asia.
- subsp. juncea, cultivated mainly for its seeds, occasionally as fodder.
- subsp. napiformis, used as a root-tuber vegetable. Dixon (2007) describes this
subspecies as having a high tolerance to cold and an enlarged conical root. - subsp. tsatsai from which stalks and leaves are used as vegetables in China.
Figure 3.22. Three forms of B. juncea
Bulbous root (a), normal or “ordinal” root (b)
and tuberous basal stem (c)Figure 3.23. B. juncea subsp. integrifolia, heading mustard, BauSin....................................................
Source: Kumazawa and Able (1955). Source: Courtesy AgroHaitai Ltd.