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The brassica family, also known as the mustard or cruciferous family, is an economically important group of dicotyledonous plants that probably makes up a part of your everyday diet.
Family members are generally small herbaceous plants but there are some shrubby varieties and even a few vines as well.
Description
Bisexual, radially symmetrical flowers are often bright yellow, though they’re sometimes light yellow, purple, or white. They’re usually arranged in a racemous inflorescence, with a few species that have individual separate flowers.
Pollinated flowers become seed pods that vary greatly in size and shape between species.
Stalks with flowers and seed pods have a distinctive look that, along with the flower anatomy, can make many family members relatively easy to spot.
![Flowers, buds and seed pods on a garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata . Image source](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edb16a2c33b4c7e56cc6e86/1592878235115-GQFULOBXBL78XC8TYWFR/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kMqOGyrjXTWGW75P4cRuh-h7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UdW1WQDekA5nJoSw4qIAqqrPHjXMB0kQqTT2Vd4tVMcIYZSivtY7GFA3EvoiwQznQA/Alliaria-petiolata-garlic-mustard-flowers-buds-seedpods.jpg?format=1000w)
Flowers, buds and seed pods on a garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata. Image source
Flowers, Fruits & Leaves
Sepals: 4 sepals.
Petals: 4 petals.
Male: 4 tall stamens, 2 short.
Female: 1 pistil
Fruit: Seed pods (called siliques) are situated around the stem radially. Though they come in all shapes and sizes, they generally all split to drop the seeds.
Seeds: Usually tiny and round.
Leaves: Simple alternate leaves with or without a petiole.
Noteworthy Types
Wild mustard Brassica oleracea is a single species that is responsible for a range of cultivars including kale, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage and many others. Roman broccoli is such a cultivar that has tightly bundled inflorescences that make a very interesting fractal spiral effect.
![Wild mustard Brassica oleracea is the plant that humans bred into a wide range of brassica vegetables that we all (hopefully) eat on the regular. Image source](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edb16a2c33b4c7e56cc6e86/1592876336774-HJ900GU7CTV0ICI3X6UK/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kDjwVHRmO1GEUjowCwxdoiN7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1Ubg6LPef4bc8ja5vOP979_LvAERmXz6JvWPsUIelM9MY5ESbinAOb_piFJn_RiqNrQ/Brassica-oleracea-wild-mustard.jpg?format=1000w)
Wild mustard Brassica oleracea is the plant that humans bred into a wide range of brassica vegetables that we all (hopefully) eat on the regular. Image source
![Broccoli sprouting, Brassica oleracea var. italica . Image source](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edb16a2c33b4c7e56cc6e86/1592877881999-WT7QVS38QK0ME46HZK5V/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kCAcKCAp1mJfKUNHInBbGg57gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1USLl2-GtoEZOTuQCER9og-NsW-mZEHbjAwvLbYwUUwze4mIkeL7oL2X-WUQoOqRAoA/Brassica-oleracea-var-italica-broccoli.jpg?format=1000w)
Broccoli sprouting, Brassica oleracea var. italica. Image source
![Romaine cauliflower with its incredible fractal spirals, Brassica oleracea 'Romanesco'. Image source](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edb16a2c33b4c7e56cc6e86/1592877962358-SV9GCAKW021FTC7P43VB/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kJ2JNrqg38NLE6EINrl1fKp7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UWHWlyksiG6KTEjpTFNnWyaaS-RuEH_PIlm0gIqb_pqFYFqkiPy4SUk90KK9afo6Pg/romanesco-cauliflower-cabbage-Brassica-oleracea-%27Romanesco%27.jpg?format=1000w)
Romaine cauliflower with its incredible fractal spirals, Brassica oleracea ‘Romanesco’. Image source
The Brassica genus is home to other culinary favourites such as various forms of mustard, turnips and canola.
![Canola fields Brassica napus . Image source](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edb16a2c33b4c7e56cc6e86/1592876532893-PDHAQFIQI4C6P5IJCLSU/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kAigl1maG62ig_t3APgjF_x7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1US2wU8rlXJugBL7lLbROnH5gGaAzvP30rCTTpUigjCNqGAJKG50QNK5JN_CGaBRFDw/canola-crop-Brassica-napus.jpg?format=1000w)
Canola fields Brassica napus. Image source
There are countless species of colonising weeds in the family that can collectively be called “mustard weeds”. These are edible and tend to have a spicy wasabi-like spicy kick that lingers for minutes, especially older leaves.
![An unknown mustard weed with prickly leaves, but still delicious. Image via Plants Grow Here.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5edb16a2c33b4c7e56cc6e86/1592876610255-GO8JZTVPKWNTKIS1U4ZP/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kJ2JNrqg38NLE6EINrl1fKp7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UWHWlyksiG6KTEjpTFNnWyaaS-RuEH_PIlm0gIqb_pqFYFqkiPy4SUk90KK9afo6Pg/image-asset.jpeg?format=1000w)
An unknown mustard weed with prickly leaves, but still delicious. Image via Plants Grow Here.
Conclusion
Members of this family are safe to eat and generally have a distinctive broccoli taste, sometimes with a side of mustard heat which can be almost unbearable in some species.
If you haven’t already read my articles on plant identification and scientific names, I recommend reading those to get a broader picture of the topic. Alternatively, you can browse some of my other plant families, subfamilies and genera below.