Any plant of the large genus Brassica , in the mustard family , containing about 40 Old World species and including the rapes .
B. oleracea has many edible varieties, such as broccoli , Brussels sprouts , cabbage, cauliflower , kale , and kohlrabi . Also included in this genus are the turnip ( B. rapa ), the rutabaga ( B. napobrassica ), and the {{link=Chinese cabbage">Chinese cabbages ( B. pekinensis and B. chinensis ).