Brassicaceae
Economically vital plant family including mustards, cabbages, and model organisms.
Brassicaceae, also known as Cruciferae, is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly called mustards, crucifers, or the cabbage family. The family includes many herbaceous plants, some shrubs, and very few vines, with species ranging from annuals to perennials. It is notable for containing numerous cruciferous vegetables, the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, and several invasive or pest species.
Lore & Background
Later taxonomists placed it in various orders: Alfred Barton Rendle in Rhoeadales, George Bentham and Joseph Dalton Hooker in Parietales (now Violales), and John Hutchinson near Papaveraceae.
Reader's Guide
Brassicaceae is significant for its economic importance as a source of cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, rapeseed, radish, and horseradish, as well as the cut-flower Matthiola and the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. The family also includes invasive species like Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), which is toxic to larvae of native Pieris butterflies. Pests such as Pieris rapae and Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper) cause major damage to commercial crops, with the latter developing resistance to common pest control methods. The family's phytochemistry, including glucosinolates and myrosinases, provides defense against herbivory. Taxonomically, Brassicaceae has been placed in the order Capparales or Brassicales alongside Cleomaceae and Capparaceae, with ongoing debate about family boundaries. The family's small genome size and variable chromosome numbers make it valuable for genetic and evolutionary studies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Brassicaceae's powers/role?
The family is best known for producing a huge lineup of edible cruciferous vegetables and for housing Arabidopsis thaliana, the go-to model organism in plant genetics research. It also plays a major role in spice production through its mustard members.
Why is Brassicaceae important?
Beyond feeding billions through cabbages, brassicas, and related crops, the family underpins modern plant biology because Arabidopsis thaliana serves as the primary genetic model for understanding flowering-plant development. Its economic weight spans agriculture, horticulture, and pharmaceutical research.
What are Brassicaceae's weaknesses or dark side?
Several members of the family are notorious agricultural pests or invasive weeds that outcompete native vegetation and damage crops. This dual nature—nourishing staple crops while also producing problematic species—gives the family a complicated reputation in the plant world.
More in Plant Families 1-15
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