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Common Name:

General Information

Brassica macrocarpa is a perennial plant with stems that become more or less woody. It grows up to 60cm tall
The plant is very rare in the wild and should not be harvested. The leaves have been shown to be an effective treatment of root namatodes, whilst the plant itself is of interest in plant breeding programmes.
The population of this species is severely fragmented. It occurs in only two locations, both of which are threatened by reforestation and building works. There is a continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat due to grazing pressure, reforestation, construction of holiday resorts and associated improvements to the road infrastructure, as well as recreational activities and fires. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern Europe - Sicily.

Habitat

Limestone cliffs and rocky slopes close to the sea; at elevations up to 300 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Brassica macrocarpa is a wild relative of and potential gene donor to a number of crops in the brassica group; including broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, swede, turnip and oilseed rape. This species is of great interest for breeding purposes, as it confers an increase in antioxidant compounds in brassica crops[].

The dry leaves can be used as an effective biological control of root-knot nematodes in a number of vegetable crops[].

Propagation

Seed -