Brassicaceae Family
Family: Brassicaceae
Conserved name: Cruciferae
Popular name: Mustard Family
Taxonomic Position (according to Cronquist)
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Subclass : Dilleniidae
Order : Capparales
Family : Brassicaceae
Identifying characters of the family
- Flower is cruciform shaped
- Herb with odorous habit
- Watery juice stem
- Four sepals, four petals are present
- Stamens are six, tetradynamous
- Fruit is siliqua
Origin and Distribution
The family Brassicaceae consists of about 350 genera and 3000 species, found mainly in temperate and warm temperate parts of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The highest concentration of species is in the areas from the periphery of the Mediterranean to Central Asia. In Bangladesh, the family is represented by 12 genera and 24 species.
Brassica nigra (n=8) |
Brassica oleracea (n=9) |
Brassica campestris (n=10) |
Brassica carinata (n=17) |
Brassica juncea (n=18) |
Brassica napus (n=19) |
Fig. 1 Diagram of the relationship between important Brassica species
Botanical Description of the Family
Habit: Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, sometimes subshrubs or shrubs.
Stem: Stem erect, ascending or prostrate, sometimes absent.
Leaves: Leaves exstipulate, simple, entire or variously pinnately dissected, rarely trifoliolate or pinnately, bipinnately or palmately compound, petiolate.
Inflorescence: Inflorescence racemes, corymbs or panicles.
Flowers: Hypogynous, mostly actinomorphic, hermaphrodite.
Calyx: Sepals 4, in 2 decussate pairs, free or rarely united.
Corolla: Petals 4, alternate with sepals, arranged in the form of a cross (cruciform, hence the earlier family name Cruciferae).
Androecium: Stamens 6, in 2 whorls, tetradynamous, rarely in 3 pairs of unequal length, sometimes stamens 2 or 4, very rarely 8-24.
Gynoecium: Ovary superior, sessile or borne on a distinct gynophore, mostly 2-locular and with a false septum connecting 2 placentae, placentation parietal.
Fruit: Siliqua or silicula.
Seeds: Non-endosperm, uniseriately or biseriately arranged in each locule.
Floral formula: or % ♂♀ K 2+2 C4A2+4 G(2-4)
Floral diagram:
Table 1. Economic Important Plants of Brassicaceae family
Serial Number | Bangla Name | English Name | Scientific Name | Plant parts used | Usefulness |
1 | Sorisha | Mustard | Brassica campestris L. | Seed | Edible oil
|
2 | Raisarisa | Indian mustard, Chinese mustard, brown mustard | B. juncea (L.) Czern | Seed | Edible oil |
3 | Kalsarisa | Black mustard | B. nigra | Seed | Edible oil
|
4 | Fulcopy | Cauli flower | B. oleracea L.var. botrytis | Inflorescence | Vegetable |
5 | Badhacopy | Cabbage | B. oleracea L. var. capitata | Leaf | Vegetable |
6 | Mulla | Radish | Raphanus sativus L. | Root | Vegetable
|
7 | Broccoli | Broccoli | B. oleracea L. var. italica | Inflorescence | Vegetable |
8 | Salgom | turnip | Brassica rapa | Root | Vegetable
|
9 | Oolkopi | Kholrabi/Knolkhol | B. oleracea L. var. gongylodes | Stem | Vegetable
|
10 | China cabbage | Kales /China cabbage | B. oleracea L. var. acephala | Stem | Vegetable |
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