Cabbage

Biennials or perennials; (with slender taproot or woody caudex, becoming suffrutescent and covered with conspicuous leaf scars); (glaucous), glabrous. Stems branched distally, 5–10 dm. Basal leaves: petiole to 30 cm; blade oblong or obovate, to 45 cm × 150 mm, (fleshy), blades pinnatifid or margins dentate. Cauline leaves (distal) sessile; blade (oblong to lanceolate), base auriculate and amplexicaul, (margins entire). Racemes not paniculately branched. Fruiting pedicels spreading to ascending, (8–)14–25(–40) mm. Flowers: sepals 8–15 × 1.5–2.7 mm; petals yellow, white, or lemon yellow, ovate or elliptic, (15–)18–25(–30) × (6–)8–12 mm, claw 7–15 mm, apex rounded; filaments 8–12 mm; anthers 2.5–4 mm. Fruits spreading to ascending, smooth, ± 4-angled or subterete, (2.5–)5–8(–10) cm × (2.5–)3–4(–5) mm; valvular segment with 10–20 seeds per locule, (2–)3–7.5(–9) cm, terminal segment usually seedless, rarely 1 or 2-seeded, (conic), (3–)4–10 mm. Seeds brown, 1.7–2.5 mm diam.; seed coat reticulate, not mucilaginous when wetted. 2n = 18.