Brassica rupestris is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to southwestern Italy and Sicily.[1] The plant is known to grow on vertical limestone cliffs.[2] In the past it was proposed, based on morphology, that Brassica rupestris contributed to the ancestry of either kale or kohlrabi, but DNA evidence shows that it did not.[3]

Brassica rupestris
Flowers and leaves
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Brassica
Species:
B. rupestris
Binomial name
Brassica rupestris

Taxonomy

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Brassica rupestris was described and named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1810.[1] In 1997 Francesco Raimondo and Pietro Mazzola erected a subspecies, Brassica rupestris subsp. hispida, based on very slight differences including leaf hairiness and silique size, which is not supported by molecular studies.[2] In 2020 subspecies monilicarpa[4] and tardarae were named.[5]

Subspecies

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The following subspecies are currently accepted:[1]

  • Brassica rupestris subsp. hispida Raimondo & Mazzola – Sicily
  • Brassica rupestris subsp. monilicarpa Raimondo & Spadaro – southern Italy
  • Brassica rupestris subsp. rupestris – southwestern Italy, Sicily
  • Brassica rupestris subsp. tardarae (Ilardi, Geraci & Troìa) Raimondo – southern Sicily

Chemistry

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There were a number of substances of note found in the roots and shoots of B. rupestris. These were tartaric acid ester, reduced glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid, glucobrassicin, and glucoraphanin.[6]

Distribution and habitat

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Brassica rupestris subsp. rupestris is found in mountainous areas of Calabria and Sicily, and has been reassessed as Least Concern, while B. rupestris subsp. hispida is found in a number of stations in Sicily and has been reassessed as Vulnerable.[2] Both subspecies typically live on near-vertical limestone cliffs, with B. rupestris subsp. rupestris found from 0 to 1,100 m (0 to 3,600 ft) above sea level, and B. rupestris subsp. hispida found from 800 to 1,300 m (2,600 to 4,300 ft).[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Brassica rupestris Raf". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Perrino, Enrico Vito; Wagensommer, Robert Philipp (2022). "Crop Wild Relatives (CWRS) Threatened and Endemic to Italy: Urgent Actions for Protection and Use". Biology. 11 (2): 193. doi:10.3390/biology11020193. PMC 8869772. PMID 35205060.
  3. ^ Mabry, Makenzie E.; Turner-Hissong, Sarah D.; Gallagher, Evan Y.; McAlvay, Alex C.; An, Hong; Edger, Patrick P.; Moore, Jonathan D.; Pink, David A C.; Teakle, Graham R.; Stevens, Chris J.; Barker, Guy; Labate, Joanne; Fuller, Dorian Q.; Allaby, Robin G.; Beissinger, Timothy; Decker, Jared E.; Gore, Michael A.; Pires, J Chris (2021). "The Evolutionary History of Wild, Domesticated, and Feral Brassica oleracea (Brassicaceae)". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 38 (10): 4419–4434. doi:10.1093/molbev/msab183. PMC 8476135. PMID 34157722.
  4. ^ "Brassica rupestris subsp. monilicarpa Raimondo & Spadaro". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  5. ^ "Brassica rupestris subsp. tardarae (Ilardi, Geraci & Troìa) Raimondo". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  6. ^ Muscolo, Adele; Sidari, Maria; Settineri, Giovanna; Papalia, Teresa; Mallamaci, Carmelo; Attinà, Emilio (2019). "Influence of Soil Properties on Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Brassica rupestris Raf". Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. 19 (4): 808–815. doi:10.1007/s42729-019-00080-5. S2CID 201210462.