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Brassica rapa parachinensis

Common name:	False Pak Choi	Family:	Cruciferae
Author:	(L.H.Bailey.)Hanelt.	Botanical references:
Synonyms:	Brassica parachinensis (L.H.Bailey.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	A cultivar of garden origin.
Habitat:	Not known in the wild.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	B. rapa var. parachinensis[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Cai Tai [H], Cai Xin [H], Choy Sum [H], False Pak Choi [P], Flowering White Cabbage [H], Mock Pak Choi [H], Pak Tsoi Sum [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	rapa = turnip (like)
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Capparales. Renamed to Brassicaceae -- Mustard family

Physical Characteristics

Biennial growing to 0.25m. It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Flowers Leaves.

Leaves - raw or cooked[206]. They can be eaten at any stage from seedling to mature plant[206]. The leaves are tougher and stronger flavoured than standard Pak choi[206]. The flavour is enhanced after a touch of frost[206]. The leaves are said to be very nutritious, with up to twice the mineral content of Pak choi[206].
Immature flowering stems - cooked like broccoli[206]. A sweet flavour[206].
An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil[200]. Prefers a pH of 5.5 to 7[200]. Prefers a cool moist reasonably fertile soil[52]. The plant is shallow rooted and intolerant of drought, it responds well to a moist fertile soil but succeeds in poorer soils than standard Pak choi[206].
Hardy to about -10° c, the plants stand up well to snow but are less likely to stand up to prolonged winter wet[206]. The prostrate forms are hardier than semi-prostrate forms[206].
The rosette pak choi is widely cultivated in China for its edible leaves, there are several named varieties[206]. It is slower-growing than standard Pak choi, B. rapa chinensis[206].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ July/August. Spring sown crops are prone to run quickly to seed if there is a spell of cold weather[206]. Some varieties can also be sown in a cold greenhouse in autumn or early spring to provide leaves overwinter and in late spring.

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

References for Brassica parachinensis (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Brassica rapa var. parachinensis (a possible synonym).

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[52] Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980
A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[206] Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray 1991 ISBN 0-7195-4781-4
Well written and very informative.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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