Difference between revisions of "Cabbage" - New World Encyclopedia
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The cabbage is derived from a leafy [[Mustard plant|wild mustard]] plant, native to the [[Mediterranean]] region. It was known to the ancient [[ancient Greece|Greeks]] and [[ancient Rome|Romans]]; [[Cato the Elder]] praised this vegetable for its medicinal properties, declaring that "it is first of all the vegetables".<ref>"Brassica est quae omnibus holeribus antistat" (''[[De Agri Cultura]]'', ch. 156)</ref>. The English name derives from the [[Norman language|Normanno]]-[[Picard language|Picard]] ''caboche'' ("head"). Cabbage was developed by ongoing artificial selection for suppression of the internode length. The dense core of the cabbage is called the babchka. | The cabbage is derived from a leafy [[Mustard plant|wild mustard]] plant, native to the [[Mediterranean]] region. It was known to the ancient [[ancient Greece|Greeks]] and [[ancient Rome|Romans]]; [[Cato the Elder]] praised this vegetable for its medicinal properties, declaring that "it is first of all the vegetables".<ref>"Brassica est quae omnibus holeribus antistat" (''[[De Agri Cultura]]'', ch. 156)</ref>. The English name derives from the [[Norman language|Normanno]]-[[Picard language|Picard]] ''caboche'' ("head"). Cabbage was developed by ongoing artificial selection for suppression of the internode length. The dense core of the cabbage is called the babchka. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Cabbage Physiology== | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Genetics== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Cabbages are members of the Cruciferae family, Brassica genus. | ||
| + | |||
| + | There are many food crops closely related to cabbage, including kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, rutabagas, watercress, and mustard. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Origin== | ||
| + | |||
| + | History | ||
| + | The original Brassica oleracea ancestor is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe. Soon after the first domestication of plants, that ancestral "cabbage" was being grown as a leafy vegetable around the Mediterranean. Because the leaves were the part of the plant consumed, those plants with the largest leaves were selectively propagated for next year's crop. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The continued preference for ever-larger leaves led to the vegetable we now know as kale (known botanically as Brassica oleracea acephala, "headless cabbage". Kale is, of course, still grown today. But eventually some developed a taste for those plants with a tight cluster of tender young leaves in the center of the plant, at the top of the stem, and that type, too, came to be selected for; over the centuries, that selecting led to what we think of as cabbages, which were probably a distinct type by as early as the 1st century C.E. (That's why cabbage is Brassica oleracea capitata, "headed cabbage".) | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Cultivation== | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Image:Cabbages - garden.JPG|thumb|right|Cabbage garden in Shanghai, China.]] | ||
| + | Broadly speaking, cabbage varieties come in two groups, early and late. The early varieties mature in about 50 days. They produce small heads which do not keep well and are intended for consumption while fresh. The late cabbage matures in about 80 days, and produces a larger head. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Cabbage can be started indoors or sowed directly. Like all brassicae, cabbage is a cool season crop, so early and late plantings do better than those maturing in the heat of the summer. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Cabbages keep well and were thus a common winter vegetable before [[refrigeration]] and long-distance shipping of produce. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Pests of Cabbage== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Control of insect pests is important, particularly in commercial production where appearance is a [[driver of success]]. The [[pesticide]]s [[sevin]] and [[malathion]] are both listed for use on cabbage. The [[caterpillar]]s of some [[butterfly|butterflies]] in the family [[Pieridae]] (the "whites") feed on brassicas and can be serious pests. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Diseases== | ||
| + | |||
| + | PYTHIUM DAMPING-OFF | ||
| + | This disease commonly affects seeds and young transplants and is caused by the soil-borne fungus Pythium species. Infected seeds decay in the soil. Seedlings and young transplants will "damp-off" or rot at the soil line, before they eventually collapse and die. | ||
| + | |||
| + | DOWNY MILDEW | ||
| + | This disease is caused by the fungus Peronospora parasitica and can attack both seedlings and mature vegetable plants. Infected plants develop a gray mold on the lower leaf surface. The upper leaf surface of infected plants first turns yellow and then may turn brown or necrotic. Leaves wither and die. Symptoms differ from powdery mildew in that the downy mildew fungus grows only on the lower surface of the leaf. Development of the disease is favored by moist conditions. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ALTERNARIA LEAF SPOT | ||
| + | This disease is caused by the fungus, Alternaria species, and occurs during warm, moist conditions. On seedlings, the symptoms are small dark spots on the stem that can cause damping-off or stunting of the plant. On older plants, the bottom leaves are infected first with brown circular spots on the leaves. Spots have characteristic concentric rings (target spots). Infected leaves soon turn yellow and drop. Bright sunshine, frequent dews or showers, and temperatures between 60 and 90 °F favor disease development. | ||
| + | |||
| + | BLACK ROT | ||
| + | Black rot is caused by a bacterium, Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris, and can affect all vegetables in the crucifer family. Above-ground parts of the plant are primarily affected, and sym-ptoms may vary depending on the type of plant, age of the plant and the environmental conditions. In general, yellow, V-shaped lesions appear along the tips of the leaves with the point of the V directed toward a vein. When lesions enlarge, wilted tissue expands toward the base of the leaves. Veins turn black or brown. Infection may spread into the stems. Cutting into the stems often reveals a black-brown discoloration with a yellowish slime present. Symptoms on cauliflower may appear as numerous black or brown specks, black veins and discolored curds. | ||
| + | |||
| + | BLACK LEG | ||
| + | The fungus, Phoma lingam, causes black leg. The symptoms of black leg are ash gray spots speckled with tiny black dots on the leaves and stem. Stems become girdled, and the plants wilt and die. Moist conditions favor development of this disease. | ||
| + | |||
| + | WIRESTEM | ||
| + | The fungus, Rhizoctonia solani, causes wirestem. Stems of plants become constricted and brittle at the soil line. The plant becomes stunted and may rot at the soil line. This disease is more severe on fall cole crops when the soil is warm. | ||
| + | |||
| + | FUSARIUM YELLOWS | ||
| + | Yellows or wilt is a much less important disease today due to the development of varieties resistant to the disease. The disease is caused by the fungus, Fusarium oxysporum forma specialis conglutinans, and most members of the cabbage family are susceptible. The fungus usually enters the plant through young rootlets or wounds in older roots at transplanting time and then moves up the stem and throughout the plant. Symptoms include leaf yellowing, defoliation of older plants, stunting and death of seedlings. Stems are often twisted to one side. On susceptible plants, symptoms may not appear until the soil warms up, close to the time of crop maturity. It is easily confused with black rot, except discoloration inside of the stem appears more yellow-brown instead of black. Yellows are more likely to cause a curve in the midrib, resulting in a plant that is stunted to one side. Disease development is most severe between 80 to 85 °F. | ||
| + | |||
| + | VIRUSES | ||
| + | There are several common viruses that can affect cole crops including Turnip mosaic virus and Cauliflower mosaic virus. Infected plants may be stunted and have distorted leaves. Black spots that look like pepper develop on the heads of plants. | ||
==Uses== | ==Uses== | ||
| Line 41: | Line 95: | ||
* [http://www.foodsubs.com/Cabbage.html#napa Varieties of cabbage] | * [http://www.foodsubs.com/Cabbage.html#napa Varieties of cabbage] | ||
| − | == | + | ==Related Brassica oleracea varieties== |
| − | [[ | + | Besides cabbage proper, the species ''Brassica oleracea'' has many distinctive [[cultivar]]s, which are commonly known by other names: [[broccoli]] (Italica Group), [[cauliflower]] (Botrytis Group), [[kale]], [[collard greens]], and [[spring greens]] (Acephala Group), [[kohlrabi]] (Gongylodes Group), [[brussels sprout]]s (Gemmifera Group), [[Chinese kale]] or Chinese broccoli (Alboglabra Group), [[broccolini]] (Italica × Alboglabra Group), and [[broccoflower]] (Italica × Botrytis Group). |
| − | |||
| − | + | ==References== | |
| − | + | <references /> | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| + | ==External links== | ||
| + | * [http://growingtaste.com Cabbage for the home gardener] | ||
| + | * [http://www.garden.org/home.shmtl National Gardening Association] | ||
| − | + | * [http://www.gardenweb.com iVillage.com Garden Site] | |
| − | |||
| − | + | * [http://www.gardenguides.com Garden Guides] | |
| − | |||
| + | * [http://www.hgtv.com HGTV] | ||
| + | * [http://www.organicgardening.com/ Organic Gardening] | ||
| − | |||
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| − | |||
{{credit|115190944}} | {{credit|115190944}} | ||
[[Category:Life sciences]] | [[Category:Life sciences]] | ||
Revision as of 22:55, 15 March 2007
| Cabbage |
|---|
| Cabbage, cultivar unknown |
| Species |
| Brassica oleracea |
| Cultivar group |
| Capitata Group |
| Origin |
| Mediterranean, 1st century |
| Cultivar Group members |
| Many; see text. |
The cabbage (Brassica oleracea Capitata Group) is a plant of the Family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae). It is herbaceous, biennial, and a dicotyledonous flowering plant with leaves forming a characteristic compact cluster.
The cabbage is derived from a leafy wild mustard plant, native to the Mediterranean region. It was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans; Cato the Elder praised this vegetable for its medicinal properties, declaring that "it is first of all the vegetables".[1]. The English name derives from the Normanno-Picard caboche ("head"). Cabbage was developed by ongoing artificial selection for suppression of the internode length. The dense core of the cabbage is called the babchka.
Cabbage Physiology
Genetics
Cabbages are members of the Cruciferae family, Brassica genus.
There are many food crops closely related to cabbage, including kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, rutabagas, watercress, and mustard.
Origin
History The original Brassica oleracea ancestor is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe. Soon after the first domestication of plants, that ancestral "cabbage" was being grown as a leafy vegetable around the Mediterranean. Because the leaves were the part of the plant consumed, those plants with the largest leaves were selectively propagated for next year's crop.
The continued preference for ever-larger leaves led to the vegetable we now know as kale (known botanically as Brassica oleracea acephala, "headless cabbage". Kale is, of course, still grown today. But eventually some developed a taste for those plants with a tight cluster of tender young leaves in the center of the plant, at the top of the stem, and that type, too, came to be selected for; over the centuries, that selecting led to what we think of as cabbages, which were probably a distinct type by as early as the 1st century C.E. (That's why cabbage is Brassica oleracea capitata, "headed cabbage".)
Cultivation
Broadly speaking, cabbage varieties come in two groups, early and late. The early varieties mature in about 50 days. They produce small heads which do not keep well and are intended for consumption while fresh. The late cabbage matures in about 80 days, and produces a larger head.
Cabbage can be started indoors or sowed directly. Like all brassicae, cabbage is a cool season crop, so early and late plantings do better than those maturing in the heat of the summer.
Cabbages keep well and were thus a common winter vegetable before refrigeration and long-distance shipping of produce.
Pests of Cabbage
Control of insect pests is important, particularly in commercial production where appearance is a driver of success. The pesticides sevin and malathion are both listed for use on cabbage. The caterpillars of some butterflies in the family Pieridae (the "whites") feed on brassicas and can be serious pests.
Diseases
PYTHIUM DAMPING-OFF This disease commonly affects seeds and young transplants and is caused by the soil-borne fungus Pythium species. Infected seeds decay in the soil. Seedlings and young transplants will "damp-off" or rot at the soil line, before they eventually collapse and die.
DOWNY MILDEW This disease is caused by the fungus Peronospora parasitica and can attack both seedlings and mature vegetable plants. Infected plants develop a gray mold on the lower leaf surface. The upper leaf surface of infected plants first turns yellow and then may turn brown or necrotic. Leaves wither and die. Symptoms differ from powdery mildew in that the downy mildew fungus grows only on the lower surface of the leaf. Development of the disease is favored by moist conditions.
ALTERNARIA LEAF SPOT This disease is caused by the fungus, Alternaria species, and occurs during warm, moist conditions. On seedlings, the symptoms are small dark spots on the stem that can cause damping-off or stunting of the plant. On older plants, the bottom leaves are infected first with brown circular spots on the leaves. Spots have characteristic concentric rings (target spots). Infected leaves soon turn yellow and drop. Bright sunshine, frequent dews or showers, and temperatures between 60 and 90 °F favor disease development.
BLACK ROT Black rot is caused by a bacterium, Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris, and can affect all vegetables in the crucifer family. Above-ground parts of the plant are primarily affected, and sym-ptoms may vary depending on the type of plant, age of the plant and the environmental conditions. In general, yellow, V-shaped lesions appear along the tips of the leaves with the point of the V directed toward a vein. When lesions enlarge, wilted tissue expands toward the base of the leaves. Veins turn black or brown. Infection may spread into the stems. Cutting into the stems often reveals a black-brown discoloration with a yellowish slime present. Symptoms on cauliflower may appear as numerous black or brown specks, black veins and discolored curds.
BLACK LEG The fungus, Phoma lingam, causes black leg. The symptoms of black leg are ash gray spots speckled with tiny black dots on the leaves and stem. Stems become girdled, and the plants wilt and die. Moist conditions favor development of this disease.
WIRESTEM The fungus, Rhizoctonia solani, causes wirestem. Stems of plants become constricted and brittle at the soil line. The plant becomes stunted and may rot at the soil line. This disease is more severe on fall cole crops when the soil is warm.
FUSARIUM YELLOWS Yellows or wilt is a much less important disease today due to the development of varieties resistant to the disease. The disease is caused by the fungus, Fusarium oxysporum forma specialis conglutinans, and most members of the cabbage family are susceptible. The fungus usually enters the plant through young rootlets or wounds in older roots at transplanting time and then moves up the stem and throughout the plant. Symptoms include leaf yellowing, defoliation of older plants, stunting and death of seedlings. Stems are often twisted to one side. On susceptible plants, symptoms may not appear until the soil warms up, close to the time of crop maturity. It is easily confused with black rot, except discoloration inside of the stem appears more yellow-brown instead of black. Yellows are more likely to cause a curve in the midrib, resulting in a plant that is stunted to one side. Disease development is most severe between 80 to 85 °F.
VIRUSES There are several common viruses that can affect cole crops including Turnip mosaic virus and Cauliflower mosaic virus. Infected plants may be stunted and have distorted leaves. Black spots that look like pepper develop on the heads of plants.
Uses
The only part of the plant that is normally eaten is the leafy head; more precisely, the spherical cluster of immature leaves, excluding the partially unfolded outer leaves. The so-called 'cabbage head' is widely consumed — raw, cooked, or preserved — in a great variety of dishes, and is thus a leaf vegetable.
Raw
While raw cabbage can be eaten in hand, for most uses it is sliced into thin strips or shredded into salads or chopped, as in coleslaw.
Cooked
Cabbage is often prepared by boiling, usually as part of soups or stews such as the Central Europe and Eastern European borscht. Boiling tenderizes the leaves, and releases sugars, and develops a characteristic "cabbage" aroma. Indeed, boiled cabbage seems to have fallen out of favor in North America, possibly due to the strong smell released during the cooking, or to its reputation for promoting flatulence. Boiled cabbage as an accompaniment to meats and other dishes can be an opportune source of umami, sugars and dietary fiber.
Fermented and preserved
Cabbage is often consumed as the German sauerkraut and Korean kimchi. Finely sliced cabbage is mixed with salt and undergoes lactic acid fermentation. Sauerkraut was historically prepared at home, as a way of storing food for the winter; but like other canned and pickled foods is nowadays mainly an industrialized product.
Poultice
Cabbage is known to have been used in European folk medicine to treat acute inflammation.[2] A paste of raw cabbage may be placed in a cabbage leaf and wrapped around the affected area to reduce discomfort. It may also be effective in the relief of painfully engorged breasts in breastfeeding women.[3]
Varieties
Red Cabbage tastes like green cabbage. It is used as a garnish but can tend to bleed its color into other foods when cooked. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_cabbage
Savoy cabbage is like ordinary cabbage, but with a milder flavor.
Green Cabbage is the standard cabbage grown commercially and available n grocery stores and from home gardens. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_cabbage
Bok Choi is also known as Chineese cabbage, is milder than green or red and used in many oriental dishes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bok_choi
Related Brassica oleracea varieties
Besides cabbage proper, the species Brassica oleracea has many distinctive cultivars, which are commonly known by other names: broccoli (Italica Group), cauliflower (Botrytis Group), kale, collard greens, and spring greens (Acephala Group), kohlrabi (Gongylodes Group), brussels sprouts (Gemmifera Group), Chinese kale or Chinese broccoli (Alboglabra Group), broccolini (Italica × Alboglabra Group), and broccoflower (Italica × Botrytis Group).
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- ↑ "Brassica est quae omnibus holeribus antistat" (De Agri Cultura, ch. 156)
- ↑ Helen M Woodman. Cabbage leaves are poor man's poultice. British Medical Journal. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
- ↑ Alison Munns. Cabbage leaves can help inflammation of any body part. British Medical Journal. Retrieved 2006-12-12.
External links
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