Plant History

Brassica chinensis; bok choy; Brassicaceae

• grown in China for 1500+ years, 2 harvests

• Symbol of good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture (often included in traditional Chinese New Year's dishes)

• eat stem, stalks, and leaves

Brassica oleracea var. botrytis; cauliflower; Brassicaceae

• Name means cabbage flower, ancient vegetable known to Romans as a delicate cabbage, curds

• eat flowers

Brassica oleracea var. capitata; cabbage; Brassicaceae

• Ancient vegetable grown in Europe for over 3000 years

• varieties including green, red, and savory

• eat terminal leaf bud

Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera; Brussels sprout; Brassicaceae

• Origins in ancient Rome but major cultivation near Brussels in 1200’s

• eat bud

Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes; kohlrabi; Brassicaceae

• originated in Northern Europe

• inner stem is eaten

Brassica oleracea var. italica; broccoli; Brassicaceae

• Started as landrace of brassica in Mediterranean ~2600 years ago, spread through Italian peninsula, Northern Europe 1700’s, US 1800’s

• name means flowering crest/sprout of cabbage

• eat flowers/stem

Brassica oleracea var. oleracea; wild cabbage; Brassicaceae

• native to coastal southern and western Europe

• eat leaf

Brassica oleracea var. viridis; kale; Brassicaceae

• Domesticated in the eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia, 4000 years ago spread to Rome and Greece

• eat leaf

Brassica napus; canola; Brassicaceae

• one of the world’s most widely used cooking oils

• healthy, mild flavor

Brassica rapa; field mustard, turnip; Brassicaceae

• Domesticated thousands of years ago, with evidence of cultivation in
  Europe and Asia.

• Includes diverse crop types: turnips (roots), leafy greens (mizuna,
  tatsoi, komatsuna, napa cabbage)

Raphanus sativus; radish; Brassicaceae

• Originated in SE Asia 2300 years ago

• eat bulb (also greens sometimes)

Lactuca sativa; lettuce; Asteraceae

• Domesticated by ancient Egyptians for oilb ut later its
  leaves.

• Spread to the Greeks and Romans who named it lactuca,
  from which its common and scientific names are based

• Widespread by 50 CE with many varieties developed
  later.

• Grown as leaf vegetable, but sometimes for oil in seeds

Theobroma cacao; cacao; Malvaceae

• Theobroma means “food of the gods”

• Mayo-Chinchipe of Santa Ana-La Florida domesticated over 5,300 years ago. Many uses of many parts of the plant.
  • Spread throughout region and beyond.
  • Olmec ~4,000 years ago, residues in pottery
  • Mayan’s by 400 established plantations and extensive cultural practices and traditions
  • Aztecs 1100’s-1500’s religion, trade with rural tropical areas in empire, but they did not domesticate.

• Contains theobromine - bitter alkaloid with pharmacological uses

• Chocolate = $

Malus domestica; apple; Rosaceae (rose family)

• Originated in Central Asia, from its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii.

• Grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe and were introduced to
  North America by European colonists.

• Have religious and mythological significance in many
  cultures (Norse, Greek, and European Christian).

• 7500 cultivars

• Grafting is essential

• Thought to have been domesticated 4000–10000 years ago in the Tian
  Shan mountains, and then to have travelled along the Silk Road to Europe

Pyrus communis; pear; Rosaceae (rose family)

• hybrid that descended from two subspecies of wild, P. pyraster and P. caucasica.

• Wild were collected and grown before the domesticated species occurred

• Likely originated Bronze Age Europe

• Greek and Roman writers Theophrastus, Cato the Elder, and Pliny the Elder all wrote about the cultivation and grafting

Rubus spp.; blackberry, raspberry; Rosaceae (rose family)

• Origins in North America.

• Bushed with and prickles.

• Fruit, is an aggregate of drupelets.

• Also called "cane fruit" or "cane berry"

Fragaria × ananassa; strawberry; Rosaceae (rose family)

• Bred by Amédée-François Frézier in Brittany, France 1750s.

• Cross of Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America and Fragaria chiloensis from Chile.

• Widely cultivated

Prunus avium; cherry; Rosaceae (rose family)

Native to Europe, Anatolia, Maghreb, and Western Asia, from the British Isles,
Morocco and Tunisia, north to the Norway and east to the Caucasus and northern Iran, and western Himalayas

Prunus domestica; plum; Rosaceae (rose family)

• It’s hybrid parentage was believed to be Prunus spinosa and P. cerasifera.

• Dried are called prunes.

• Originated in central/southeast Asia

Prunus persica; peach; Rosaceae (rose family)

• First domesticated and cultivated in Eastern China.

• ”Fuzzless” varieties are called nectarines.

• Originally cultivated in area now known as Iran and spread to Europe

Prunus armeniaca; apricot; Rosaceae (rose family)

• Cultivated since antiquity, so specific origin unknown but likely from three domestication events in Central Asia ~1000 BCE.

• Similar appearance to a small peach.

• Skin velvety, light yellow, reddish on sun exposed sides.

Prunus dulcis; almond; Rosaceae (rose family)

• Domesticated in Early Bronze Age with cultivation evidence in Southwest Asia and the Mediterranean region and similar arid climates with cool winters.

• California unsustainably produces over half of the world's supply.

Triticum spp.; wheat; Poaceae (grass family)

• The archaeological record suggests that it was first cultivated in the regions of the Fertile Crescent around 9,600 BCE (11,600 YA)

• Grasses cultivated for seed (caryopsis) as a cereal grain which is a worldwide staple.

• The genus includes several species with T. aestivum the most common.

• Grown on more land area than any other food crop. World production is second only to maize

Musa acuminata; banana; Musaceae

• Originated in Southeast Asia and New Guinea, from wild ancestors Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana.

• Cultivated for thousands of years, spreading across Asia, Africa, and eventually introduced to the Americas during the Columbian Exchange.

• Cultural significance in many societies: feature in creation myths, traditional medicine, and are staple foods in tropical regions.

• Ancient seafaring people would take root stock with them.

• Propagation: sterile triploids; they do not produce viable seeds, so propagation relies on suckers or tissue culture