Practical
Plants

Brassica carinata

Abyssinian Cabbage

an annual member of the Brassica genus in the family Brassicaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
1 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The oil contained in the seed of this species is rich in erucic acid which is toxic. However, modern cultivars have been selected which are almost free of erucic acid.

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves and young stems - raw or cooked[3][5][6][1]. Used when up to 30cm tall[2]. A mild and pleasant cabbage flavour[K], the young growth can be cut finely and used in mixed salads, whilst older leaves are cooked like cabbage leaves[2]. Immature flowering stems - cooked. Used like broccoli[2], they make a nice vegetable[K]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[2]. Oil from the wild species is high in erucic acid, which is toxic[1], though there are some cultivars that contain very little erucic acid and can be used as food[K]. The seed can also be crushed and used as a condiment[4].

Product or use
Condiment
Product or use
Oil
Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
N. Africa - Ethiopia. Occasional in Britain.
Habitat
An occasional bird-sown alien on waste ground in Britain.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in situ in succession from March to early September. The seed can also be sown under cloches in February when it will yield a crop in May.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil[4]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil[5]. This species is very tolerant of a wide range of climatic conditions but it prefers a range of 15 - 20°c in the day with a diurnal range of 5 - 6°c and moderate rainfall[4]. Cultivated for its edible leaves in some areas, plants that are given some protection from the cold can supply edible leaves all through the winter[5]. There are some named varieties. 'Texsel' is especially good for temperate climates, it is fast growing even at relatively low temperatures[1][4].

References

  1. Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986-00-00 ISBN 0704909820

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

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