Knowra Brassicaceae Brassicaceae Brassicaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes cabbages, mustards, radishes, and thousands of other species. Its flowers typically have four petals arranged in a cross.
Brassicaceae flower : A flower typically bearing four petals in a cross, six stamens, and a four-parted ovary. Its characteristic four-petal form gives the family its traditional name, Cruciferae.
Brassica oleracea : A species cultivated in many forms, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Its cultivated varieties show how dramatically selection can reshape one brassica species.
Glucosinolates : Sulfur- and nitrogen-containing plant compounds characteristic of Brassicales, stored separately from their activating enzymes. These compounds form the chemical basis of many brassica defenses and flavors.
Domestication of Brassica crops : The long process by which people selected wild brassicas for edible leaves, stems, roots, buds, and seeds. Repeated selection produced the remarkable diversity of cultivated brassicas.
Cleomaceae : A family of flowering plants in Brassicales, closely related to Brassicaceae. Molecular classification places this neighboring family near Brassicaceae.
Silique : An elongated dry fruit that splits into two valves, leaving seeds attached to a central partition. This distinctive fruit is common among familiar members of the family.
Brassica rapa : A cultivated species that includes turnips, Chinese cabbage, pak choi, and some oilseed crops. Its diverse crops are staple foods across several regions.
Myrosinase : An enzyme that hydrolyzes glucosinolates when plant tissue is damaged. Cell damage brings this enzyme into contact with glucosinolates in many brassicas.
Wild cabbage : A coastal European plant, Brassica oleracea, that is the ancestor of several major cultivated vegetables. Its descendants include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale.
Capparaceae : A family of flowering plants in Brassicales that includes capers and related species. It shares the order Brassicales with Brassicaceae and includes the caper plant.
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