Node. Brassicaceae. Kreuzblütengewächse. Brassicaceae. The name Brassicaceae is derived from the included genus Brassica.
Cruciferae, an older name, meaning "cross-bearing", describes the four petals of mustard flowers, which are reminiscent of a cross; it is one of eight plant family names without the suffix -aceae that are authorized alternative names (according to ICBN Art. 18.5 and 18.6 (Vienna Code)), and thus both Cruciferae and Brassicaceae are used. The family contains over 330 genera and about 3,700 species, according to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The largest genera are Draba (365 species), Cardamine (200 species, but its definition is controversial), Erysimum (225 species), Lepidium (230 species), and Alyssum (195 species). Pieris rapae and other butterflies of the Pieridae family are some of the most well known pests of the commercial cropping of Brassicaceae. Cruciferous vegetables. This article is about the use of Brassicaceae as food.
For a botanical description of plants in this family (whether or not used for food), see Brassicaceae. Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae) with many genera, species, and cultivars being raised for food production such as cauliflower, cabbage, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts and similar green leaf vegetables. The family takes its alternate name (Cruciferae, New Latin for "cross-bearing") from the shape of their flowers, whose four petals resemble a cross. List of cruciferous vegetables[edit]