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Brassica rupestris

Raf.

Wild leafy kale

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(c) Riccardo Rocca, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Riccardo Rocca

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(c) Li Jianong, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

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Brassica rupestris is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to southwestern Italy and Sicily. The plant is known to grow on vertical limestone cliffs. In the past it was proposed, based on morphology, that Brassica rupestris contributed to the ancestry of either kale or kohlrabi, but DNA evidence shows that it did not.

Description

A Mediterranean herb in the cabbage family that grows on limestone cliffs, with edible leaves and the ability to be propagated from seed.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The leaves are eaten.

Distribution

It is a Mediterranean plant. It grows on limestone cliffs.

Where It Grows

Europe, Italy, Mediterranean, Sicily,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed.

Synonyms

Brassica crispa Raf.Brassica montana Raf.Brassica oleracea var. rupestris (Raf.) Paol.Brassica sempervirens Ten. ex Schrank

Also Known As

Caulu di rocca, Cavulazzu

References (3)

  • Geraci, A., et al, 2018, The wild taxa utilized as vegetables in Sicily (Italy): a traditional component of the Mediterranean diet. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2018) 14:14
  • Licata, M., et al, 2016, A survey of wild plant species for food use in Sicily (Italy) – results of a 3-year study in four Regional Parks. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 12:12
  • Pasta, S., et al, 2020, An Updated Checklist of the Sicilian Native Edible Plants: Preserving the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Century-Old Agro-Pastoral Landscapes. Frontiers in Plant Science. Volume 11|Article 388

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