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Organism
(ORGA)
published: 04 Apr 2006
last updated: 05 Oct 2026
Brassica napus
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Capparales |
| Family | Brassicaceae |
| Subfamily | Brassicoideae |
| Genus | Brassica |
| Species | Brassica napus |
- Brassica campestris subsp. napus (L.) Hook.fil.
- Brassica campestris var. napus (L.) Bab.
- Brassica polymorpha subsp. napus (L.) Syme
- Brassica rapa subsp. napus (L.) Schübl. & G.Martens
- Brassica rapa subsp. napus (L.) Briq.
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TurnipEN
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RapeseedEN
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Canola PlantEN
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Oilseed RapeEN
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RapeEN
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BRANAEN
- Catalogue of life - Brassica napus L. [ English ]
- GBIF - Brassica napus L. [ English ]
Crops
Domesticated
The precise centre of origin of Brassica napus is uncertain. B. napus is an allotetraploid species (AACC, 2n = 38) that originated through hybridization between ancestors of B. rapa (AA) and B. oleracea (CC). No truly wild populations of B. napus are known. Southwestern Europe and the Mediterranean region have historically been proposed as an area of origin, where the distributions of the ancestral species overlap; however, genomic evidence indicates a complex origin and potentially multiple independent formation events. Cultivated winter forms were first documented in Europe.
Cultivated Brassica napus has geographically structured genetic diversity associated with its breeding and cultivation history. Major genetic groups include European winter, Asian winter/semi-winter, and spring B. napus. Genetic diversity is particularly associated with European and Asian germplasm pools, although the relative patterns of diversity differ between the A and C subgenomes.
Brassica napus is primarily a crop of temperate regions and is cultivated as winter, spring and semi-winter forms. It occurs mainly in agricultural habitats, including cultivated fields, field margins, roadsides, railway corridors, disturbed ground and other ruderal habitats where escaped or feral populations may become established. Cultivation extends from cool-temperate to Mediterranean and other suitable agricultural climates. The species generally performs best in well-drained soils and is poorly adapted to strongly acidic, highly alkaline, saline or waterlogged soils.
Brassica napus is widely cultivated throughout temperate agricultural regions of the world, particularly in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, with additional cultivation in parts of South America, Africa and New Zealand. Outside cultivation, escaped or feral populations occur in many regions and the species has become naturalized in parts of Europe, Asia, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Its present geographical distribution therefore extends far beyond its proposed area of origin in Mediterranean Europe.
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BCH-ORGA-SCBD-9845-5 Organism Brassica rapa (Turnip, Field mustard, Turnip rape, Summer turnip rape, Polish rape, BRARR)Crops
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BCH-ORGA-SCBD-115905-1 Organism Brassica juncea (Indian mustard, Brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Leaf mustard, Vegetable mustard, Mustard greens, BRAJU)Crops
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BCH-ORGA-SCBD-101872-5 Organism Brassica oleracea (Wild cabbage, Crucifers, BRAOL)Crops
EN
- Food
Brassica napus includes different cultivated forms with distinct uses. Two major forms are: (1) oilseed rape (B. napus subsp. napus), including spring and winter types, and (2) the swollen-rooted swede or rutabaga (B. napus subsp. rapifera, also referred to as B. napus var. napobrassica). Other forms may be cultivated for forage or as vegetables.
Oilseed B. napus includes both conventional rapeseed and “canola-quality” varieties. “Canola” is a quality designation rather than a taxonomic designation and generally refers to varieties selected for low levels of erucic acid in the oil and glucosinolates in the meal. In Canada, for example, canola-quality seed is defined as containing less than 2% erucic acid in the oil and less than 30 µmol/g of specified glucosinolates in the air-dried, oil-free meal. Canola-quality varieties have been developed in B. napus, B. rapa and B. juncea.
B. napus is cultivated extensively for edible vegetable oil and protein-rich animal feed, as well as for industrial oils, biofuel, forage and vegetable production. High-erucic-acid rapeseed varieties are also cultivated for specialized industrial applications.
Oilseed B. napus includes both conventional rapeseed and “canola-quality” varieties. “Canola” is a quality designation rather than a taxonomic designation and generally refers to varieties selected for low levels of erucic acid in the oil and glucosinolates in the meal. In Canada, for example, canola-quality seed is defined as containing less than 2% erucic acid in the oil and less than 30 µmol/g of specified glucosinolates in the air-dried, oil-free meal. Canola-quality varieties have been developed in B. napus, B. rapa and B. juncea.
B. napus is cultivated extensively for edible vegetable oil and protein-rich animal feed, as well as for industrial oils, biofuel, forage and vegetable production. High-erucic-acid rapeseed varieties are also cultivated for specialized industrial applications.
- OECD Consensus Document on the Biology of Brassica Napus L (Oilseed Rape).pdf [ English ]
- Government of Canada - The Biology of Brassica napus L. (Canola/Rapeseed) [ English ]
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew - Brassica napus L. [ English ]
- NCBI Taxonomy - NLM - Brassica napus [ English ]
- Uniprot - Brassica napus [ English ]
- Whole-genome resequencing reveals Brassica napus origin and genetic loci involved in its improvement [DOI] [ English ]
- Population Genomic Analysis Reveals Differential Evolutionary Histories and Patterns of Diversity across Subgenomes and Subpopulations of Brassica napus L.s [DOI] [ English ]
| Record type | Field | Record(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organism | Cross-compatible species | 1 | |
| Living Modified Organism | Recipient Organism or Parental Organisms | 55 | |
| Genetic element | Donor organism (scientific name) | 21 | |
