Choy sum


Choy sum is a leafy vegetable commonly used in Chinese cuisine. It is a member of the genus Brassica of the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Choy sum is a transliteration of the Cantonese name, which can be literally translated as "heart of the vegetable". It is also known as Chinese flowering cabbage.

Description

Choy sum is a green leafy vegetable similar to gai lan, and can be characterized by the distinct yellow flowers which it bears. Each flower has four yellow, oval to round petals with six stamens on fleshy, erect stems which are in diameter and tall with light to dark green, and are oval with slightly serrated margins leaves, which never forms compact heads like the cabbage. Fruits can develop out of cross-pollination or self-pollination, and are silique structured, that open at maturity through dehiscence or drying to bare open to brown or black seeds that are small and round in shape. A single pod can bear up to 4 to 46 seeds.
The height of the plant varies greatly, ranging from depending on the growing conditions and the variety. Flowering usually appears when there are about 7 to 8 leaves on the plant or about tall. The bulk of the root system is found within a depth of and is confined to a radius of.
The whole plant is overall an annual, herbaceous plant, rarely perennial, rarely growing into subshrubs. The whole plant consists of a simple or branched, leafy structure. It grows best in soil with a minimum pH level of 5.6, maximum pH level of 7.5.

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