1 1 8 Journal of A gricultural Research vol. xx, no. 2 



CLASSIFICATION 

 IDENTIFICATION 



While a preliminary study seemed sufficient to exclude the seed from 

 the group of true mustards, 1 much difficulty was encountered in defi- 

 nitely identifying it. The material had evidently not been imported 

 before, at least not in recent years, nor could similar authentic material 

 be located in this country in any of the larger museums. Since the 

 information on the subject in the literature was contradictory, insuffi- 

 cient, or entirely lacking, extended studies were undertaken to determine 

 the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of the seeds, as well as 

 the chemical composition and certain physiological characteristics of 

 the volatile oil. Plants were also grown to maturity, and the charac- 

 istics at the different stages of growth were determined. These experi- 

 ments were correlated with data in the literature, as a result of which 

 identification of the seeds as those of Chinese colza, Brassica campestris 

 chinoleifera, n. var., was made possible. It should be mentioned here 

 that Chinese colza was first classified by us (/, p. 469; 45; 46) as Brassica 

 campestris chinensis oleifera, n. f. Upon suggestion of Messrs. Blake and 

 Coville the name was changed to Brassica campestris chinoleifera, n. var., 

 in order to avoid the use of a polynomial. 



TAXONOMY 



Some confusion exists concerning the nomenclature of Brassicas, the 

 description of them in many instances being inadequate. This is espe- 

 cially true of the oriental species, of which the seed in question is a repre- 

 sentative. Linnaeus (26, p. 281) described Brassica chinensis (PI. 19, A) 

 as a plant having stem-clasping leaves and slightly compressed siliques. 

 It is obviously of the Brassica campestris type (PI. 19, B). 



Iinouma (18) described among other vegetables two plants which he 

 called, respectively, Aburana (oil vegetable) and Tona (Chinese vegetable). 

 Tanaka and Ono (18) identified Aburana as Brassica chinensis var., and 

 Tona as Brassica chinensis L. 



Ito and Matsumura (19, p. 290-301) include Brassica chinensis L. and 

 Brassica orientalis Thunb. under the species Brassica campestris var. 

 chinensis T. Ito. Kondo (21, 22) evidently accepted this classification 

 and described Aburana, used for oil production, and (4) other forms, 

 used for greens, as Brassica campestris chinensis T. Ito. Makino (18) t 

 apparently unaware of Ito's classification or Kondo's earlier work, 

 identified both Aburana and Tona as Brassica campestris L. var. chinensis 

 Makino. According to Georgeson (16), Abura-na, Nutum-na, and Chiri- 

 men-na 2 are Japanese names for Chinese cabbage, Brassica chinensis L., 



1 Mustard seed is the ripe seed of Sinapis alba L. (white mustard), Brassica nigra (L.) Koch (black mus- 

 tard), Brassica juncea (L.) Cosson, or the varieties or closely related species of the types of Brassica nigra 

 and Brassica juncea, for example, Brassica cernua Thunb. (42). 



- Free translation according to Georgeson: Na means green; abura, oil; nutum, rape seed; and chirimen, 

 crape, referring to the crimped leaves of certain varieties. 



