Cauliflower

Cauliflower

M A Baset Mia

Scientific name: Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis

Local name: ‘Fulkopi’

Taxonomic Position According to Cronquist (1988)

Botanical Description of Cauliflower

Root: Tap root system

Stem: Short, thick and swollen fleshy stems.

Leaf: The leaves are almost sessile, glabrous covered with a layer of wax with smooth or curly edges and blue-green in color.

Inflorescence: Raceme

Flower: Complete, bisexual, symmetrical

Fruit: Siliqua

Chromosome number: 2n=18

Economic Importance

Cauliflower is very important vegetable for its large, edible young inflorescence i.e. floral primordia, cannot be differentiated into vegetative and reproductive tissue. Its heads (curds) are cooked as vegetable, sometimes cut into small pieces and used in salad mixes. This is also used in dried mixtures of soup vegetables. Cauliflower has a good nutritional value. Per 100 g fresh edible portion, cauliflower curd contains on average: water 88 g, protein 4 g, fat 0.3 g, carbohydrates 6 g, fiber 1.5 g, calcium 25 mg, potassium 325 mg, carotene 200 mg and vitamin C 40 mg.

Table Cauliflower varieties developed by Horticulture Research Center (HRC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Joydebpur and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University Bangladesh