Brassica rapa

Brassica rapa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Brassicaceae
Genus:	Brassica
Species:	B. rapa
Binomial name
Brassica rapa L.
Synonyms
B. campestris L.

(syn. Brassica campestris), commonly known as or turnip mustard^[1] is a plant widely cultivated as a leaf vegetable (see mizuna), a root vegetable, and an oilseed.

Cultivar groups

Cultivated varieties of Brassica rapa include:

• Chinese cabbage: Bok choi (chinensis group) and Napa cabbage (pekinensis group)
• Mizuna (nipposinica group)
• Aburana (nippo-oleifera group)
• Flowering cabbage (parachinensis group)
• Turnip (rapa group)
• Turnip rape (Brassica rapa subsp. oleifera) ^[2]
• Rapini (ruvo group)
• Tatsoi (rosularis group)
• Komatsuna (perviridis or komatsuna group)

Experimental organism

Some varieties of this plant are used for experiments as they require little more attention than the proper amounts of light, water, and fertilizer. These "Fast Plants" (the name is a registered trademark for the variety developed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison) are ideal for basic botany and biology experiments, as they grow quickly, maturing in about 40 days. Some genetically modified versions mature faster. This short growing time makes them easier to experiment with than most other plants. Some of these plants have even been sent to outer space to test germination.

References

External links

• Multilingual taxonomic information from the University of Melbourne
• PROTAbase on Brassica rapa
• Brassica rapa (TSN 23063). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 17 November 2006.
• The official Fast Plants website.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brassica rapa

This Brassicales article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

This vegetable-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e