Brassica rapa |
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bird's rape, bird-rape, canola, common mustard, field-mustard, rape, rapeseed, turnip, turnip-rape, wild-rape, wild-turnip |
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Habit | Annuals or biennials; (roots fleshy or slender); (green to slightly glaucous), glabrous or sparsely hairy. |
Stems | unbranched or branched distally, 3–10 dm. |
Basal leaves | petiole (winged), (1–)2–10(–17) cm; blade ± lyrate-pinnatifid to pinnate to pinnatisect, (5–)10–40(–60) cm × 30–100(–200) mm, (margins sinuate-dentate, sometimes ciliate), lobes 2–4(–6) each side, (terminal lobe oblong-obovate, obtuse, large, blade surfaces usually setose). |
Cauline leaves | (middle and distal) sessile; base auriculate to amplexicaul, (margins subentire). |
Racemes | not paniculately branched, (with open flowers overtopping or equal to buds). |
Flowers | sepals (3–)4–6.5(–8) × 1.5–2 mm; petals deep yellow to yellow, obovate, 6–11(–13) × (2.5–)3–6(–7) mm, claw 3–7 mm, apex rounded; filaments 4–6(–7) mm; anthers 1.5–2 mm. |
Fruiting pedicels | ascending to spreading, (5–)10–25(–30) mm. |
Fruits | ascending to somewhat spreading, torulose, terete, (2–)3–8(–11) cm × 2–4(–5) mm; valvular segment with 8–15 seeds per locule, (1.3–)2–5(–7.5) cm, terminal segment seedless, 8–22 mm. |
Seeds | black, brown, or reddish, 1.1–2 mm diam.; seed coat very finely reticulate-lightly alveolate, not mucilaginous when wetted. |
2n | = 20. |
Brassica rapa |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Sep. |
Habitat | Roadsides, disturbed areas and waste places, cultivated fields, grain fields, orchards, gardens |
Elevation | 0-1500 m [0-4900 ft] |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Europe; Asia; Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Atlantic Islands, Australia]
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Discussion | Brassica rapa is widely cultivated as an oil crop and vegetable, and cultivars, especially in Asia, have been recognized as species, subspecies, and varieties. The most important crops include: rapeseed or canola, turnip (subsp. rapa), Chinese mustard or pakchoi [subsp. chinensis (Linnaeus) Hanelt], and Chinese cabbage or petsai [subsp. pekinensis (Loureiro) Hanelt]. The species is also a widespread naturalized weed [subsp. sylvestris (Linnaeus) Janchen] throughout temperate North America and elsewhere. It is self-incompatible. Hybridization in the field in Europe has been described between B. napus and B. rapa (R. B. Jørgensen and B. Andersen 1994). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 7, p. 423. |
Parent taxa | |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | B. campestris, B. campestris var. oleifera, B. chinensis, B. pekinensis, B. rapa subsp. chinensis, B. rapa subsp. pekinensis, Sinapis pekinensis |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 666. (1753) |
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