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Field mustard
Вячеслав Юсупов, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist

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Field mustard

Brassica rapa L.

Names

EnglishField mustard
DutchRaapzaad
SpanishNabo
Chinese油菜
Scientific nameBrassica rapa L.

About this species

Brassica rapa is an annual to biennial plant species native to Eurasia that is from the Brassicaceae family. The B. rapa subspecies oleifera is an oilseed commonly known as turnip rape, field mustard, bird's rape, and keblock.

It has been widely cultivated into many forms, including the turnip (a root vegetable), komatsuna, Chinese cabbage, bomdong, pak choi / bok choy, and rapini. Its domesticated forms include turnips and leafy greens, such as bok choy and napa cabbage. The oilseed types are grown for food and industrial uses. Genetic studies indicate that B. rapa was one of the earliest domesticated brassicas, with turnip-like forms arising first and additional morphotypes developing independently across Eurasia. Wild, feral, and cultivated populations are found worldwide, making the species important agriculturally, economically, and ecologically.

Rapeseed oil is a general term for oil from some Brassica species. Food grade oil made from the seed of low-erucic acid Canadian-developed strains is also called canola oil, while non-food oil is called colza oil.

Read more on Wikipedia · Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Classification

KingdomPlantae
PhylumTracheophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderBrassicales
FamilyBrassicaceae
GenusBrassica

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