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The Turnip (Brassica rapa var. oleifera) belongs to Brassiaceae (the Mustard family). It is an annual herb that is probably native to the Scandinavian Peninsula to Siberia and Caucasia. It has been cultivated in East Asia for a long time and is called "zairai-natane" (native turnip). It is said to have come to Japan from China during the Yayoi period (2300-1300 years ago). The leaves are soft and edible. An edible oil is obtained from the seeds. The leaves are impari-pinnate with about six pairs of lobes. The fruit is a silique, and the color of the seeds is yellowish brown. It produces bright yellow flowers in early spring. There are hairless (early ripening) and hairy (late ripening) varieties, as well as entire-edged (country) varieties. The photos show "Wase-abura-na" (early-ripening turnip).
In addition, the extremely diverse variations of "Turnip" are able to cross-pollinate with each other, so they have differentiated in various directions depending on the region and the purpose. For example, they have differentiated into "abura-na" for leaves, "kukitachi-na" or "tou-na" (flowering stalk greens), and "hana-na" (flower greens) for flower buds.
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