Brassica rapa var. perviridis (komatsuna)

Japanese name: コマツナ （小松菜）
Scientific name: Brassica rapa var. perviridis

[Overview]
An annual or biennial grown for its leaves as a vegetable.
The basal leaves are alternate, long-ovate, glossy on the upper surface, and have long petioles.
The flowers are borne in racemes at the stem tips and are yellow with 4 petals.

[History]
It is said that cultivation began in the early Edo period around Komatsugawa, in present-day Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.

[Uses]
It is rich in carotene, vitamin C and minerals.

[Cultivation]
Pests include aphids, cabbage worms and cutworms.

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