Cabbage
Cauliflower/Kale/etc.. Brassica oleracea
- One species with a very large number of different vegetables including cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussel sprouts, kohlrabi and more
- All the different kinds of Brassicas also have many different cultivars in a variety of colours.
- The ancestor of all the cabbages, wild cabbage, is a coastal plant tolerant to salinity.
Background information
The large variation in types of Brassica oleracea makes this an attractive crop. It is nutritious and high in vitamin C, and diets rich in Brassica varieties are correlated with lower risk on certain types of cancer. The various types of Brassicas are classified according to the way the heads develop, including a group that doesn’t produce a head. This group is most similar to the wild ancestor of all the domesticated Brassica vegetables.
Because of the large diversity in this species, relatively few general things can be said. Many Brassica crops are planted as seedlings that are grown in nurseries. Regarding salinity tolerance, the different groups of Brassicas differ in their average salinity tolerance (as usual, within one group there is also considerable variation between cultivars of the same type) but generally speaking, the kale types show better salt tolerance than for example the cauliflower type.