Brassica napus
Brassica oleracea
canola, oilseed rape, rape, rapeseed, rutabaga, swede, swede rape, Swedish turnip, turnip, turnip mustard, winter rape
broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cultivated cabbage, kale, wild cabbage
branched distally, 3–13 dm.
branched distally, 5–10 dm.
(rosulate when biennial);
petiole (often winged), to 15 cm;
blade lyrate-pinnatifid, ± pinnately lobed, 5–25(–40) cm × 20–70(–100) mm, lobes 0–6 each side, (smaller than terminal), surfaces (glaucous), glabrous or sparsely hairy when immature, glabrescent, or, rarely, pubescent.
petiole to 30 cm;
blade oblong or obovate, to 45 cm × 150 mm, (fleshy), blades pinnatifid or margins dentate.
(middle and distal) sessile;
blade base auriculate or amplexicaul, (margins entire).
(distal) sessile;
blade (oblong to lanceolate), base auriculate and amplexicaul, (margins entire).
not paniculately branched, (buds overtopping or equal to open flowers).
not paniculately branched.
sepals (5–)6–10 × 1.5–2.5 mm;
petals golden or creamy to pale yellow, broadly obovate, 10–16 × (5–)6–9(–10) mm, claw 5–9 mm, apex rounded;
filaments (5–)7–10 mm;
anthers 1.5–2.5 mm.
sepals 8–15 × 1.5–2.7 mm;
petals yellow, white, or lemon yellow, ovate or elliptic, (15–)18–25(–30) × (6–)8–12 mm, claw 7–15 mm, apex rounded;
filaments 8–12 mm;
anthers 2.5–4 mm.
spreading to ascending (slender), 1–3 cm.
spreading to ascending, (8–)14–25(–40) mm.
spreading to ascending, smooth or slightly torulose, terete, (3.5–)5–10(–11) cm × (2.5–)3.5–5 mm;
valvular segment with 12–20(–30) seeds per locule, (3–)4–8.5(–9.5) cm, terminal segment usually seedless, rarely 1 or 2-seeded (attenuate-conic, thin), (5–)9–16 mm.
spreading to ascending, smooth, ± 4-angled or subterete, (2.5–)5–8(–10) cm × (2.5–)3–4(–5) mm;
valvular segment with 10–20 seeds per locule, (2–)3–7.5(–9) cm, terminal segment usually seedless, rarely 1 or 2-seeded, (conic), (3–)4–10 mm.
dark brown to black, light brown, or reddish, 1.8–2.7(–3) mm diam.;
seed coat finely reticulate-alveolate, not mucilaginous when wetted.
brown, 1.7–2.5 mm diam.;
seed coat reticulate, not mucilaginous when wetted.
= 38.
= 18.
Brassica napus
Brassica oleracea
Brassica napus is both a crop and a sporadically occurring naturalized weed in North America, grown in two forms recognized by some as subspecies. Subspecies napus (rape, rapeseed, or canola) is an annual with slender roots widely cultivated as an oil crop and is the most commonly naturalized. Subspecies rapifera Metzger [= subsp. napobrassica (Linnaeus) Hanelt] (rutabaga, swede, or Swedish turnip) is a biennial with fleshy roots that rarely escapes from cultivation.
Although Brassica napus has been reported as a weed from most southeastern states, it is very likely that most reports represent misidentifications of B. rapa (I. A. Al-Shehbaz 1985). It is difficult to distinguish between plants of B. napus and B. rapa that lack flowers and proximal leaves.
Brassica napus is an allotetraploid derived from hybridization between the B. oleracea complex (n = 9) and B. rapa (n = 10). Its center of origin is uncertain but likely Mediterranean Europe, with molecular data supporting evidence of multiple independent origins between the parental taxa B. oleracea and B. rapa and its related n = 9 species (Song K. et al. 1993). Specimens from West Virginia have not been observed.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Brassica oleracea is widely cultivated worldwide as a vegetable crop, and its various forms are generally recognized as varieties instead of subspecies; these include var. acephala de Candolle (kale and collards), var. botrytis Linnaeus (cauliflower), var. capitata Linnaeus (cabbage), var. gemmifera Zenk (Brussels sprouts), var. gongylodes Linnaeus (kohlrabi), and var. italica Plenk (broccoli). It also occurs sporadically as a weedy escape from cultivation and seems unlikely to persist for long periods of time. It is reported to be naturalized on coastal cliffs (maritime slopes) in the northern Central Coastal Region and the central and southern North Coastal Region in California (Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties) (J. T. Howell et al. 1958; Howell 1970; H. G. Baker 1972; R. C. Rollins 1993b).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
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Go Botany, 
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WildflowerSearch
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- Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA
- Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, Go Botany, IL Wildflowers, PNW Herbaria
- WildflowerSearch
- iNaturalist (observations)
- USDA Plants Database
- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
