白菜 bai cai

Brassica campestris Linnaeus subsp. pekinensis (Loureiro) G. Olsson; B. campestris var. pekinensis (Loureiro) Viehoever; B. chinensis Linnaeus var. pandurata V. G. Sun; B. chinensis var. pekinensis (Loureiro) V. G. Sun; B. pekinensis (Loureiro) Ruprecht; B. pekinensis var. cephalata M. Tsen & S. H. Lee; B. pekinensis var. cylindrica M. Tsen & S. H. Lee; B. pekinensis var. laxa M. Tsen & S. H. Lee; B. pekinensis var. petsai Loureiro; B. petsai (Loureiro) L. H. Bailey; B. rapa subsp. pekinensis (Loureiro) Hanelt; B. rapa subsp. pekinensis var. laxa (M. Tsen & S. H. Lee) Hanelt; B. rapa subsp. pekinensis var. pandurata (V. G. Sun) Gladis; Sinapis pekinensis Loureiro.

Plants annual or biennial. Taproot not fleshy, cylindric. Basal leaves usually more than 20, strongly rosulate, forming oblong or subobovoid, compact heads; petiole strongly flattened, with incised or dentate wings; leaf blade dentate. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jun-Jul. 2n = 20*.

Long cultivated as the most important domestic vegetable. Throughout China [widely cultivated elsewhere].