Brassica Alboglabra Bailey (Cruciferae)
(B. Oleracea var. Albiflora O. Kunze)
A perennial with dull or glossy thick bluish-green, oval, often glaucous leaves and elongated fleshy inflorescences. It is cut for the market from the young plants before the first flower buds begin to open. In recent years, small plants grown in crowded conditions have been harvested for sale in the markets.
Origin
Brassica Alboglabra: Chinese Kale
Some authorities regard this as a variety of B. Oleracea but it is quite unlike any kale
grown in Europe or England. It is widely cultivated in South-East Asia like Thailand, Hong
Kong, Taiwan, etc.
Health benefits: It has abundant sulphur and its juice
can be used to treat stomach and duodenal ulcer. It has exceptional source of
chlorophyll, calcium, iron, and vitamin A
This plant is high in calcium and iron content and vitamin A precursors. It can be stir-fried, steamed and cooked in soup..
Notes
Small plants of Chinese Kale grown in crowded conditions
The cultivated species of the genus Brassica (about 40 species of annual and biennial
herbs) are important in horticulture. The Brassica group is a most perplexing and
bewildering family of crops, not only because of the frequency of outcrossing that often
results in viable hybrids, but also the relative ease with which new mutants can be
selected and new cultivars developed. Pearson (1929) was the first to suggest classifying
Brassica on the basis of chromosome numbers. V.G. Sun summarized it as three elementary
species comprising B. Campestris L. (n=10), B. Nigra Koch (n=8) and B. Oleracea L. (n=9)
and all the other species are derived from them.