atoll research bulletin no. 392 the flora of - Smithsonian Institution ...

petiolate or not clasping; petioles, 4 to 10 cm long; flowers, up to 2.5 cm in diameter,
white, perfect, 4-sepaled, 4-petaled, without bracts, borne on slender pedicels along an
elongated fleshy terminal flower stem (raceme); fruit, a long, narrow pod, with a conical
beak; seeds, small, globose. Planted in Chinese food gardens at Location. Leaves, stems
and flowers cooked as a vegetable. 5, 6, 7.
Brassica chinensis L. var. chinensis "Chinese cabbage", "Chinese white cabbage"
te kabiti n Tiaina (K); kapisi Saina (T)
syn. B. chinensis Juslenius
Pre-World War I1 introduction. Asia. Common. Erect, loose-heading , biennial
herb, grown as an annual, up to 40 cm or higher, with a tap-root; leaves, 10 to 40 cm
long and 5 to 20 cm wide, alternate, shiny, dark-green, prominently white-veined, ladle-
shaped, terminally rounded, upstanding, radical (coming from the roots) leaves not lobed,
stem leaves usually clasping, not forming a compact head; petiole, 3 to 12 cm long,
thickened, ivory-white, somewhat fleshy; flowers, about 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter, light to
bright yellow, perfect, 4-sepaled, 4-petaled, without bracts, held above unopened buds,
petals orbicular, borne on slender pedicels, 1 to 4 cm long, along an elongated terminal
flower stem (raceme), up 50 cm long; fruit, 3 to 6 cm long, slender pods, with a conical
beak, usually 2-grooved, opening lengthwise; seeds, about 1 to 1.5 mm in diameter,
globose, brown to blackish-grey. Commonly cultivated in Chinese food gardens at
Location and Topside workshops. Leaves and stems cooked as a green vegetable. 5, 6, 7.
Brassica chinensis L. var. parachinensis (Bailey) Tsen & Lee
"flowering white cabbage" paak ts'oi sum (C); te kabiti n Tiaina (K)
syns. B. parachinensis Bailey; B. chinensis var. oleifera Makino
Pre-World War I1 introduction. Asia. Common. Erect, branched, biennial, non-
heading herb, grown as an annual, up to 50 cm or higher; leaves, 10 to 50 cm long and 4
to 10 cm wide, darker-green above, lighter below, stem leaves not clasping, central stem
leaves, long and narrow, ovate to lanceolate to oblong, upstanding, not heading, radical
leaves more similar to those of var. chinensis; petiole, 3 to 12 cm long, slender, light
green; flowers, about 1 cm in diameter, light yellow, perfect, 4-sepaled, 4-petaled,
without bracts, borne on slender pedicels, 1 to 4 cm long, along an elongated terminal
and sometimes axillary flower stem (raceme), up 40 cm long; fruit, 3 to 6 cm long,
slender pod, with a conical beak, opening lengthwise; seeds, about 1 to 1.5 mm in
diameter, globose, brown to blackish-grey. Commonly cultivated in Chinese food gardens
at Location. Leaves, stems, and flcrwers cooked as a green vegetable.3,d.