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Brassicaceae FAMILY

Brassica rapa dichotoma

Brassica rapa dichotoma

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

The oil contained in the seed of some varieties of this species can be rich in erucic acid which is toxic. However, modern cultivars have been selected which are almost free of erucic acid.

Cultivation Details

HabitBiennial
Growth—

Indian rape arose in cultivation from forms of Brassica rapa and is cultivated as an annual crop from the warm temperate zone to the tropics of India. Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil[1]. Prefers a light sandy soil and dislikes a heavy soil[2]. Prefers cool moist growing conditions[3]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.3 to 8.3.

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in the spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Brassica+rapa+dichotoma>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]The Gardener's Assistant. — Thompson. B. · Blackie and Son. · 1878 · ISBN - ↩︎Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.
  3. [3]New Vegetable Growers Handbook. — Simons. · Penguin · 1977 · ISBN 0-14-046-050-0 ↩︎A good guide to growing vegetables in temperate areas, not entirely organic.
  4. [4]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  5. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎