Acephala group

Last updated
Acephala group
Collards in container.jpg
Three young plants of non-heading collard greens growing in a small office wastebasket with a water reservoir at the bottom
Species Brassica oleracea
Cultivar group Acephala Group
Originunknown
Cultivar group membersMany; see text.

The acephala group refers to any type of Brassica which grows without the central 'head' typical of many varieties of cabbage. These are included within the species Brassica oleracea , such as kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala). [1] The name literally means "without a head" in contrast to those varieties known as capitata or "with a head". This group includes a number of species, both wild and cultivated, many of which are grown for their edible leaves and flowers.

Contents

Groups of cultivars

Different sources break down the Brassica genus into different grouping as shown below:

Mabberley

Mabberley (q.v.) has these groups: Napobrassica Group / Pabularia Group / Acephala Group / Alboglabra Group / Botrytis Group / Capitata Group / Gemmifera Group / Gongylodes Group / Italica Group / Tronchuda Group / Chinensis Group / Japonica Group / Pekinensis Group / Perviridis Group / Rapifera Group

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

Royal Botanic Gardens Kew [2] has eight cultivar groups: Acephala Group (kale, borecole, collards) / Alboglabra Group (Chinese kale, Chinese broccoli, gai lan, kai lan) / Botrytis Group (broccoli, cauliflower, broccoflower, calabrese) / Capitata Group (cabbage, Savoy cabbage, red cabbage) / Gemmifera Group (sprouts, Brussels sprouts) / Gongylodes Group (kohlrabi, knol-kohl) / Italica Group (purple sprouting, sprouting broccoli) / Tronchuda Group (Portuguese cabbage, seakale cabbage)

Members

The Acephala group of cultivars or variety for the species Brassica oleracea includes: [3]

Acephala means "no head" [12] as the plants have leaves with no central head; the opposite arrangement of white cabbage, or Savoy cabbage. Each cultivar has a different genome owing to mutation, [13] evolution, ecological niche, [14] and intentional plant-breeding by humans. Mabberley (1997, p. 120) has the Acephala group in three sub-groups: kale, borecole, and collards. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kohlrabi</span> Biennial cultivar of wild cabbage

Kohlrabi, also called German turnip or turnip cabbage, is a biennial vegetable, a low, stout cultivar of wild cabbage. It is a cultivar of the same species as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, and gai lan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabbage</span> Leafy vegetable in the flowering plant family Brassicaceae

Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of Brassica oleracea, is a leafy green, red (purple), or white biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage, and belongs to the "cole crops" or brassicas, meaning it is closely related to broccoli and cauliflower ; Brussels sprouts ; and Savoy cabbage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broccoli</span> Edible green plant in the cabbage family

Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli has large flower heads, or florets, usually dark green, arranged in a tree-like structure branching out from a thick stalk, which is usually light green. The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli resembles cauliflower, which is a different but closely related cultivar group of the same Brassica species.

<i>Brassica</i> Genus of flowering plants in the cabbage family Brassicaceae

Brassica is a genus of plants in the cabbage and mustard family (Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are informally known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, mustard plants, or simply brassicas. Crops from this genus are sometimes called cole crops—derived from the Latin caulis, denoting the stem or stalk of a plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cauliflower</span> Vegetable in the species Brassica oleracea

Cauliflower is one of several vegetables cultivated from the species Brassica oleracea in the genus Brassica, which is in the Brassicaceae family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broccoflower</span> Edible plant

Broccoflower is either of two edible plants of the species Brassica oleracea with light green heads. The edible portion is the immature flower head (inflorescence) of the plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brussels sprout</span> Vegetable

The Brussels sprout is a member of the Gemmifera cultivar group of cabbages, grown for its edible buds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collard (plant)</span> Variety of plant

Collard is a group of loose-leafed cultivars of Brassica oleracea, the same species as many common vegetables including cabbage and broccoli. Part of the Acephala (kale) cultivar group, it is also classified as the variety B. oleracea var. viridis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kale</span> Form of cabbage with green or purple leaves

Kale, also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage cultivars primarily grown for their edible leaves; it has also been used as an ornamental plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese cabbage</span> Vegetable of the bok choy plant

Chinese cabbage is either of two cultivar groups of leaf vegetables often used in Chinese cuisine: the Pekinensis Group and the Chinensis Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gai lan</span> Leaf vegetable

Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, or Chinese kale is a leafy vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to broccoli. A Brassica oleracea cultivar, gai lan is in the group alboglabra. When gone to flower, its white blossoms resemble that of its cousin Matthiola incana or hoary stock. The flavor is very similar to that of broccoli, but noticeably stronger and slightly more bitter.

<i>Brassica oleracea</i> Species of plant

Brassica oleracea is a plant species from the family Brassicaceae that includes many common cultivars used as vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, kohlrabi, and gai lan. It was most likely first brought into cultivation in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The uncultivated form of the species, wild cabbage, originates from feral populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clubroot</span> Common fungal disease of plants of the family Brassicaceae

Clubroot is a common disease of cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes, turnips, stocks, wallflowers and other plants of the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae). It is caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, which was once considered a slime mold but is now put in the group Phytomyxea. It is the first phytomyxean for which the genome has been sequenced. It has as many as thirteen races. Gall formation or distortion takes place on latent roots and gives the shape of a club or spindle. In the cabbage such attacks on the roots cause undeveloped heads or a failure to head at all, followed often by decline in vigor or by death. It is an important disease, affecting an estimated 10% of the total cultured area worldwide.

Spring greens are a cultivar of Brassica oleracea in the cultivar acephala group, similar to kale, in which the central leaves do not form a head or form only a very loose one. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most other domesticated forms, and is grown primarily in northern Europe, where its tolerance of cold winters is valued for an early spring supply of edible leaves. The cultivar group acephala also includes curly kale and collard greens, which are extremely similar genetically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cruciferous vegetables</span> Vegetables of the family Brassicaceae

Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Brassicaceae with many genera, species, and cultivars being raised for food production such as cauliflower, cabbage, kale, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard plant and similar green leaf vegetables. The family takes its alternative name from the shape of their flowers, whose four petals resemble a cross.

Acephala, Latin for "without a head", may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romanesco broccoli</span> Vegetable, member of the cabbage family

Romanesco broccoli is in fact a cultivar of the cauliflower, not broccoli. It is one of two types of broccoflower. It is an edible flower bud of the species Brassica oleracea, which also includes regular broccoli and cauliflower. It is chartreuse in color and has a striking form that naturally approximates a fractal. Romanesco has a nutty flavor and a firmer texture than white cauliflower or broccoli when cooked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukuma wiki</span> East African dish made with collard greens

Sukuma wiki is an East African dish made with collard greens, known as sukuma, cooked with onions and spices. It is often served and eaten with ugali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lacinato kale</span> Variety of kale

Lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan kale, Italian kale, dinosaur kale, kale, flat back kale, palm tree kale, black Tuscan palm, or, in Italian and often in English, cavolo nero, is a variety of kale from the Acephala group of cultivars Brassica oleracea grown for its edible leaves. Lacinato has a long tradition in Italian cuisine, especially that of Tuscany, where it has been grown for centuries, and it is one of the traditional ingredients of minestrone and ribollita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey cabbage</span>

The Jersey cabbage is a variety of cabbage native to the Channel Islands that grows to a great height and was formerly commonly used there as livestock fodder and for making walking sticks. It is also known as Jersey kale or cow cabbage, and by a variety of local names including giant cabbage, long jacks, tree cabbage and the French chour and chou à vacque.

References

  1. Random House Webster's College Dictionary, New York 1992, p. 736 (s.v. kale)
  2. "Brassica oleracea (wild cabbage)". kew.org. Royal Botanic Gardens.
  3. "RHS Plant Finder". rhs.org.uk. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  4. (Quote.) "Originally, a general name for any plant of the cabbage kind, genus Brassica (of which the varieties were formerly less distinct than now)." ("colewort, n." OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2014. Web. 26 November 2014.)
  5. "Plants for the Front Porch". Henry Homeyer: The Gardening Guy. Henry Homeyer.
  6. "Ornamental Kale/Ornamental Cabbage". The Georgia Gardener. Walter Reeves / The Simple Gardener, Inc. 18 August 2010.
  7. "Flowering kale". Better Homes & Gardens. Meredith Corporation.
  8. "About Flowering Cabbage Plants". Gardenguides.com. Demand Media.
  9. James Alexander-Sinclair. "The ornamental cabbage". Gardenersworld.com. Immediate Media Company Ltd. Archived from the original on 2014-07-11. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
  10. Mabberley, D. (1997) Mabberley's plant-book : A portable dictionary of plants, their classification and uses. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  11. "Definition of Scotch kale in English". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013.
  12. "Merriam-Webster :Acephala". Merriam-Webster.(subscription required)
  13. "Courses: "Genome evolution and mutation"" . Retrieved 25 November 2014. Closed Access logo transparent.svg (password-protected)
  14. Knowles, LL; Carstens, BC; Keat, ML (2007-06-05). "Coupling Genetic and Ecological-Niche Models to Examine How Past Population Distributions Contribute to Divergence". Current Biology. 17 (11): 940–946. Bibcode:2007CBio...17..940K. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2007.04.033 . PMID   17475496. S2CID   13891478.
  15. Mabberley, q.v.