Is Komatsuna a type of rapeseed? One article explains the relationship between the two
For people living in cities, vegetables that look similar are usually hard to tell apart.So is Komatsuna a type of rapeseed?
1. Is Komatsuna a type of rapeseed?
Komatsuna is not rapeseed. Komatsuna, also called small bok choy, originated in our country and is a variety of common bok choy, a subspecies of Chinese cabbage in the Brassica genus of the Brassicaceae family. Rapeseed, on the other hand, is not only eaten as a vegetable but is also an important oilseed crop.
2. What is the difference between Komatsuna and rapeseed?
1. Characteristics
Komatsuna can be divided into 3 types according to leaf shape: round-leaf type, intermediate type, and spoon type. The leaf shape of the same variety varies slightly depending on the growing season. Varieties cultivated in the high-temperature season mostly have round leaves, while varieties cultivated in the low-temperature season mostly have spoon-shaped leaves; intermediate-type varieties mostly show round leaves when cultivated in summer and mostly show spoon-shaped leaves when cultivated in winter.
The rapeseed stem is erect and branched, with only a few scattered bristles on the young leaves. The lower leaves are lyrate-pinnatifid, with an ovate terminal lobe 7-9 cm long, rounded at the apex, nearly truncate at the base, with blunt teeth at the margin, and about 2 pairs of lateral lobes, ovate, 1.5-2.5 cm long; the petiole is 2.5-6 cm long, with lobes at the base; the middle and upper cauline leaves gradually change from oblong-elliptic to lanceolate, with a heart-shaped base, clasping the stem.
2. Value
Komatsuna is eaten as a young tender plant. Its quality is tender, and its taste is delicious. Compared with rapeseed and baby bok choy, it has a special sweet fragrance. After cooking, its color is emerald green, and its nutritional value is high.
In addition to its fresh tender stems and leaves being used as a vegetable, rapeseed is also one of the main oilseed crops.
In addition, Komatsuna has a relatively short growth period and wide adaptability to soil. Except for soil that is both compacted and heavy clay, it can be cultivated on sandy soil, sandy loam, clay loam, and light clay, but it is most suitable for planting in loose, fertile loam plots with good irrigation and drainage conditions.