A study on the classification of Chinese cabbages

A study on the classification of Chinese cabbages

1980

REP.CC-0856

On the basis of leaf morphological features and number of chromosomes, Chinese cabbages should belong to Junceae (Tsen et Lee, 1942) which may consider as a group of oriental series of cabbage, including two species, Brassica juncea and Brassica campestris. From the viewpoint of cytology and breeding, the six formerly named species of Brassica pekinensis, B. chinensis, B. campestris, B. parachinensis, B. narinoso and B. rapa should belong to one species because their chromosome numbers are the same and they may easily cross each other so that they should be combined to one species which has been entitled Brassica campestris abroad. As a general rule we should adopt it. The author proposes that some of the original species names such as pekinensis, chinensis and rapa may in order be lowered to be subspecies, while others such as narinosa, parachinensis, campestris may be lowered to be varieties by putting them under the subspecies chinensis. Chinese cabbages include two sorts or subspecies, one is a wrapping or heading sort called Da bai-cai (big chinese cabbage), pertaining to subspecies pekinensis, the other is a common or unwrapping sort called Qing-cai or Bai-cai(greens), which is pronounced as Pak-choi by our cantonese, it's botanical nomenclature is subspecies chinensis. The author suggests some key for chinese cabbage classification. [AS/thh]

v.7:21-28, ACTA HORTICULTURAE SINICA

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